Gestalt
by KisaragiKei
Summary: She knew it was probably the end. She was going to die before her life even began. The old man looked on with a sad frown. A cane slammed into the ancient floorboards just before another younger man asked a question that didn't need answered, "Wizard Marshal. Another future you want to change?" He laughed,"Why are they all twiddling their thumbs? Waver! Waver, really!"
1. Ashes

**This is something I planned a bunch after a lot of life events happening. This is dedicated so I hope you stick around. I have been outlining this for awhile with help from my Beta so I hope you guys enjoy the ride. This hint will have to do; Zelretch's magic works on Remnant. What am I getting at?**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: ASHES**

"So much to watch, so little that's _interesting_ ~"

If anyone had heard the voice coming from a certain location, located inside of a certain clock tower, they would have taken note. And in truth, only one did hear the utterance of a certain man.

"Please, Wizard Marshall. It scares me every time those words come out of your mouth." the voice of a man wearing a red coat with golden ornaments, called out. His perpetual sour expression bled into one of fear before he continued, "We just sent off the next prospects of students you took an interest in."

"It's just booooring Waver- _kun_ ~" Zelretch complained. Several minutes into listening to his whining, he saw old man flicked his wrist to make a screen appear from nowhere. Images flickered in and out of different places while Zelretch shook his head each time. The other man, one Lord El-Melloi II, cringed at the other's casual disregard of sorcery. _The Second True Magic_ , the Operation of **Parallel Worlds!**

He wondered why the Wizard Marshall himself kept him around. As much as Zelretch denied it, his own skills were mediocre, and if it weren't for noticing the potential of Rin and Luvia; he would have surely been ignored. Then there would be one less pest in his vicinity.(Or so he thought of it that way.)

Zelretch snickered as a particular version of Shirou Emiya got himself into a certain... _precarious_ situation. The amusement was short lived however, and in his boredom he returned to moving perceptions of parallel worlds as if it were a mortal's television. In the silence of the older master changing channels, and the younger averting his gaze in fear of learning something he shouldn't, Zelretch asked a simple question. "Where's that confidence the King of Conquerors raised in you?"

"And risk the chance of suddenly being in another version of myself? Locked in _another_ Holy Grail War, with its rules turned on its head for the sake of your amusement?" El-Melloi II chuckled.

"Oh what a nice idea. I'm glad you mentioned that~" Zelretch grinned with a perverse smile. The younger man quickly backed off on instinct, a cold sweat falling down his back. His audible gulp made the older man laugh. "No sense of humor these days."

The images changed slower than before and the man gestured for the younger to watch. Zelretch knew if the boy could figure out his magic like he did the Edelfelts, he'd have a much more enjoyable time training him. Besides, the boy would never be able to actually learn the trick. Unravel the secrets like some scientist maybe, but practice it?

Zelretch 'oohed' when a new viewpoint appeared before him. This one was different than the others; The world had changed, there were no signs of modern countries and borders anywhere. The clock tower was _gone_ , and so was the surrounding city. At some random location, a group of smokey, inky toy monsters prowled around on a self evident hunt.

"This is Earth… isn't it?" El-Melloi II murmured. His mind twisted up in thought, gears churning to understand the world in front of him.

"It's shattered, Type-Moon... interesting. Let's see how this occurred," Zelretch murmured the last to himself, as more and more viewpoints appeared in a blurry haze. Parallel worlds (using the previous realm as a focal point) flew by, all moving at different paces from each other. The timelines varied, events played out simultaneously; and just like that, everything blinked out of existence.

Zelretch laughed when the other boy could barely fathom what occurred. The wizened man left his chair, moving lazily towards a pile of nondescript items nearby his throne-like seat, each unassuming object a powerful artifact in its own right. The other could only force himself from moving.

"Are you going to intervene? I had thought you've been taking a break." El-Melloi II asked in a resigned tone. Never would he think to even attempt stopping Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. He took a double take when a deck of playing cards rustled in the Wizard's hand, somehow causing a clear sparkle of gleaming silver engravings to appear. "Wait, prototype class cards!? Don't those still have some of their egos? Fragments of their _souls_ are there, and I don't even know how you did it! Amongst _**other** _problems that weren't removed!"

"It... appears so?" El-Melloi II frowned from his spot, unwilling to go closer to check for sure. But he was sure, it would be worse than the Chaldea Incident!

"My boy." The air quickly closed off from the humor and levity it had earlier. A sad and sympathetic smile appeared on the old man's face. It was one of the few that never ceased to surprise Waver. He like many others thought the man was off his gourd. A price for reaching the _**Root**_. Zelretch spoke airily, "I loathe many worlds. Only because they are so tragic."

"They dance at an inconsistent tune, in a song that changes periodically. Always a moment of calm before a storm. Others, nothing _but_ a storm."

The young man held on his breath. A long gaze he shared with the man turned into a small grin. Zelretch had a heart, only buried underneath it all.

"If you're so reluctant, I guess I'll keep everything a se~cret~" In a blink of an eye, Zelretch hollered just like before while he fazed from existence, leaving El-Melloi II stuck with a gaped face.

Moments later, the same Zelretch had a thoughtful grin as he sat down on his couch, El-Melloi II stood behind him by a blasé command. "Watch with me. You'll see my surprise soon."

* * *

"Wh-Where am I?"

Everything felt like water, as if she was endlessly falling into the ocean. Not a speck of light graced her eyelids, she heard nothing at all and she couldn't feel any kind physical sensation. Cold, Hot, Pain, even Numbness were void from her senses. Her eyes failed to open for her, arms were like lead weights which failed to pull up to her chest, not to mention the unresponsive legs. It was as if she didn't have any in the first place. She couldn't control her body, everything was gone.

She tried to take a breath of air…. and failed. She couldn't breathe!

 _Ou, Girl! Calm down would ya?_

"Who said that?" The girl called out in alarm. With her eyes still closed, she couldn't tell where she was. It didn't feel like she heard. Or rather... hearing that voice was different than usual. It echoed and rang all around her being, permeating her entire form.

In a soft blaze of wind and fire, an image of her body played out, located in a village two days away from Vale. She couldn't feel the wind building up pressure, nor the flame heating up her body. Even her head wasn't able to turn. Yet she could see, and the girl was utterly helpless to interfere.

 _What's the last thing ya remember?_

The voice was brash and fierce yet almost playful, speaking with a carefree attitude. She tried her best, willing the events to appear before her in the flame. The panic of her frozen body redoubled her efforts, wondering if this could be her escape from this torture.

"I remember seeing a little girl in the middle of the road, and… and…"

 _A fake. An illusion to get her guard down. Almost worked too, but the conjurer was reckless and inexperienced. It should've been so easy to stop the girl, yet..._

"I got pincer attacked by a man with metal legs, my flame Dust didn't even blow him back."

 _If ya wanted that, you coulda used the other one. The clear crystal. You saw the kick a stone's throw away and didn't even strengthen your stance?_

She quickly defended herself, not liking the tone. "My weapon was gone, so I used what I had at the time. They were too fast, I couldn't hit them."

 _Pure brute force. The third assailant came by and you were surprised! Ya thought you could handle them without any knowledge. Commanding the elements up there felt like you were above the world, huh?_

"I thought they were bandits…." She murmured. The voice didn't pull punches in it's accusations. What else could she have done? All she had were basic defense classes from her town's militia. She wasn't a huntress, and she certainly didn't have the experience; she never needed more than the minimum. What'd the voice expect?

 _Now, what else do ya remember?_

Try as she might, everything else after the attack was a blur. She had been knocked down somehow and afterwards... she felt a gasp until she couldn't breathe. An arrow got her.

"My back…" If she could cry she would've, then and there. Her legs weren't responsive back then. Everyone had spaces between the vertebrae, that was where her nerve strands were cut. She couldn't even feel as those two assailants lifted her up in a vice, let alone resist.

 _Got the spine real good. You'd be lucky if you could even feel anything below that waist a yours._

"Then…"

 _What else do ya remember?_

"Nothing else after that."

 _And before?_

"Well, I remember stopping at a small town by the lake up to the northeast. I was on my way to Vale until I met an old man that…. that wanted some help."

The voice didn't respond, yet somehow she could tell it was anticipating her reply. It was odd, the feeling encompassed her entire being; warm, inviting, yet a spark of electricity was there, ready to burst forth. She wanted to revel in the blessed feeling, but she sensed the voice wanted her to continue

"He handed me a box? No, a deck of cards as a reward. I told him I didn't know how to play."

The voice sighed. _Ou, it's not for playing._

"Figured as much, way too pretty for anyone to just use… wait! I remember now! It glowed just before I blacked out."

 _Heh, those brats did a number on ya. You were wounded at the face, arms, legs, just about anywhere you could think of. But…_

She waited for the voice to finish. It unnerved her, because she could tell it was trying to find the right words.

 _You're damaged, more inside than out. It's a **mess**._

"So, I'm guessing you're why I'm not dead? Where am I?"

Weirdly enough, she could feel the voice shrug. Even if there was no image, she knew it grimaced. _Hell if I know. You're stuck in a box, far as we could tell._

"We?"

 _That can wait. For now, what do ya wanna do? You wanna stay here and let whoever's in charge get their hands with ya? A slow death's not as great as you think it is. Or…_

"Or?"

 _You wanna get out? They're not doing a thing to fix you up. You're stable, because of us, but that's all it's gonna happen. Won't last either._

"How long?"

 _Less than yer hoping for._

She could, as he said; stay put for whatever her captors had in store. A number of possibilities flew across her mind, none of it good. It was like that back in her hometown. Getting something from a legend, like a Maiden told to her by her grandmother was already something she didn't expect. Let alone the local doctors wanted to give her some kind of check up so often. A multi-faceted semblance they said, weird as it sounded. She didn't think it was a hard question to answer.

With her mind made up, she responded determinedly, "What do you have in mind?"

 _First off, its a bit late but, ah well, lets start over. Yo, name's Lancer. Let's get you outta here eh, Master?_

"Alright… Lancer. My name's Amber."

* * *

The machines used to keep Amber stable also allowed others to view her vitals. If anyone had been close to a monitor, or if it were a different point in time (unlike now), they would have been alarmed the exact moment the scanners blipped. The most worrying display to make noise showed off increased brain activity. The EKG spiked into faster intervals as warning signs blared a dull tone into deaf speakers.

 **"[Synchronize, Lancer]"** Amber's voice rang out, strained yet soft. A blue glow behind the neck blinded her sight when she tried to look through the glass. Her body hurt like no tomorrow. Everything was on pins and needles, a dull ache settling in when she broke her bindings, the restraints snapping as if they were made of paper.

The dying wail of metal grated at her ears. She grimaced when a hand wiped her eyes before it landed on the surface of her 'box'. Vision went down as far as they could, her parched lips cracked as she spoke her thoughts, "Bone and scars… This machine… didn't even give us nutrients."

No matter. The box sundered under her considerable strength quickly enough; the hatch cracked, glass shattered into a barely held together spiderweb, and the complex machine died in a swirl of disjointed humming. Amber grunted, her legs wobbling under the meager weight of her emaciated form. A hand found a metal bar she took for a brace, and she breathed.

Her Aura gathered around the muscles weak with entropy, and as fast as lightning, they supported her body as best as they could. It was evident her body was already in worse shape than she previously imagined. A spark of red glimmer failed to materialize in her opened hand, eliciting a frown. The metal bar she used before twisted and turned under her hands, screeching when she tore if from the ruined machine. The makeshift spear will have to do for now.

After straightening the makeshift weapon out, Amber engraved a sign at the middle of the pole: _**Eihwaz**_ , the rune of so many things. Strength, reliability, dependability, and trustworthiness. Enlightenment, endurance. Defense, and protection. A shine encompassed the pole before it faded into ethereal dust. Dexterous fingers twirled her tool in place and she tested it on a second machine beside the one she tore out of.

A deep gash like an ugly scar clawed at the center of the second coffin. The upper components were sheared off, flying towards the nearest pillar to lodge itself into the stone.

With a nod, Amber twirled her spear a few times before keeping it behind her right arm, almost like it was second nature. Dismissing the odd thought, she scanned the area around her: Dim green fire flickered softly on wall mounted torches, barely illuminating the hallway stretching beyond normal sight. She narrowed her eyes at the figure of a man, a flask barely gracing his lips as golden courage drained onto his shirt. She deadpanned, "You gonna stop gaping, kid?"

She walked on the center floor, spear twirled a few times as she calculated the potential-no… **obvious** threat.

"The exit's behind you right? Stand aside."

 _Or we make you_


	2. Butterfly

**Here you are. Chapter two is in play. Thanks for all the... interesting reviews. Unique huh? hehe**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Butterfly**

Qrow had an inkling of what he was getting at the moment he laid a hand on his trusted Harbinger. Amber, the girl they were so concerned over, was probably putting up a front; Oz and the others knew what kind of damage she sustained. Him personally, he was the one who found her after all.

In Oobleck's own fast words; "Multiple incisions at the arms and waist with a steady blood loss which can't be closed by normal means, Leg and face contusions from blunt force trauma, most likely metal plates, shattered ribs at the lower left side with a near matching claw wound on mirroring the right side, an impact fracture on the right ulna, broken left kneecap followed by a fractured thigh/hip combination, right shin mark from a set of blades that match her upper torso, and a clean puncture wound between the lumbar and thoracic vertebrae."

The terms went over his head, but Qrow made his own guess when he hauled her in. He knew for sure the girl most likely would never walk again. That she was still breathing was amazing unto itself, having seen men beefier than her die to much less. She was a survivor, he would give her that much. _**Lucky**_

Which was why he could only let the freshly refilled flask of King's River, a whiskey brand he had been dying to buy again, drain onto his shirt. The flask was already half gone by the time Amber walked towards him at the center of the floor. A faint smell of a _danger_ overcame his whiskey before he looked at his shirt in dismay.

"The exits behind you right? Step aside."

D-Did he just take a step back? No. That shouldn't be possible. But… he felt his stance shift as if by instinct. How did that happen? Was she dangerous enough to force him to look at her like an enemy? A real one, not some thug in the slums?

Qrow couldn't help the rest of his body switching into his reactionary mode. She wasn't even in the shape to lift a finger against him, and he was the one going on the defensive? The hackles on the back on his neck raised, a clear tell of everything inside screaming at him to _back off_. What in the Brothers' names was Ozpin getting them into?

He forced a smile though, responding without a lick of hesitance. "Sorry girl, I'm gonna have to ask you to stay where you are. I'll get the headmaster."

"This headmaster… I assume he's a teacher of some kind?" Amber responded with a scowl. She narrowed her eyes slightly, and shook her head just enough for him to notice under the fire.

He was getting somewhere. Maybe this didn't have to end with him knocking her out, sparing a lecture from the Old Man. So long as he played his cards right. "Yeah, among other things."

"And I assume you're one too? Now, why would a headmaster of a school of some kind leave us here, in a dark and dreary place like this?" she asked, her voice growling slightly. The girl twirled her pole a few times before she continued, "I think…"

Qrow put on his student friendly smile. "Actually, I'm-"

"I think you're hiding something." Her next words came out like she did, appearing right in front of him. Qrow's eyes widened up to his brows, barely dodging a spear thrust.

Damn, she's fast! He couldn't even get a lick in when he dodged a second stab attempt, and another before she twirled it around to aim at his side. He gritted his teeth from the altogether too close of a call, and he tried to fight back. When his blade met her spear, Harbinger sparked from the contact; his arm screamed at him, and Qrow felt his feet skidding on the ground.

How is she so strong?! He mentally demanded, barely keeping up with her attacks. Another stab barely missed as she aimed at his gut this time, pieces of clothing ripped from the close call. He swung down hoping to control her pole, forcing it to the ground and follow up with another swing up to catch her by surprise. Instead, she moved the pole so quickly with a flick of the wrist that it parried Harbinger before twirling to it's opposite end. A shove of a palm had his chest almost meet the end of that unassuming piece of metal. _Almost_

He forced the central gravity given to him by his feet to lean back, with a press of a button, Harbinger's gun barrels shot out to give him some added acceleration. He skid back to gain some distance. He watched Amber raise a brow, her eyes lingered on his weapon until a nonchalant twirl of her own became the only sign that she flanked him by the left. With gritted teeth, he used the face of his blade to parry the thing out of the way. Sparks flew, and to his surprise and dismay, _only Harbinger_ was losing pieces of itself.

"Something no one, not a single one outside of your 'group' should ever find out." she continued, somehow talking like she was in a civil conversation and not actively trying to shank him. Qrow listened to her words, unable to reply on account of trying to not be skewered.

A gnawing feeling of worry emerged from the back of his mind. She wasn't even giving him a chance! Words failed to come to his mind when the girl actually forced him into the air by catching his leg at the side. How could she be able to move in that condition?!

Qrow figured he'd have only a few minutes before the elevator busted open with Ozpin at the helm. He would just have to drag out the fight long enough for rescue to arrive. Harbinger changed, mechanical servos clicked to allow the blade lengthen into a curved sickle with the hilt shifting into a pole. He used that momentary chance to swing, but she moved so imperceptibly the blade didn't even touch her.

He couldn't believe it; this wasn't what Amber was going to be like after waking up. That was if she would wake up. This twentish year old woman, someone who looked like she was still in her teens fought like one of the best huntresses that ever lived! This alone was cause to worry, without mentioning how effortlessly she was beating him.

Nothing was wasted. Every single movement which _looked_ like showboating had a purpose in her form. He was outclassed in every way; Strength, speed, stamina, even her reflexes were a cut above the rest, cut above him. She was like Raven, and she _wasn't even in top condition!_

"You must be going soft if you're a teacher."

And now she was trash talking-he stopped that thought when it clicked. This girl even had the strength to talk in such a fight! Qrow could only think of two words when they fought. Two contradictory words that encapsulated the girl's fighting. Warring Beast. It was his only way to describe her; every time he dodged, her pole would crack, and destroy the pillars holding the lowest levels of Beacon, turning them into rubble. The floor cratered and crumbled after each footstep, as jagged claw like scars ran deep into the earth after each swipe, whether they failed or succeeded.

"Shit!" He gritted in pain. The Aura surrounding him wavered and shattered into millions of tiny pieces after a dozen of well placed shots hitting so fast they seemed instantaneous. Her movements were jaw droppingly quick, it was if she as the master playing with a toddler. The neck, head, thigh, pelvis, everything was open as a bottle of vodka to her. Now he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of his 'teaching'; Dominating a student to hammer a lesson into their thick skulls.

Was this the power of a Maiden? Was this the strength of a chosen woman who held one of the four seasons?! He couldn't even get a word in when she finished her piece.

"Something like me."

Damn it. Maybe he could try to reason with her again, this time without the brashness. The girl had to be tense at the new experience of waking up in what was basically a morgue. Qrow needed to find a way to get her to stop, in any way possible. He couldn't last much longer, one wrong move and he was dead.

"Look, I get-"

"No, I think you get nothing." Her words made him nearly break his teeth when he clamped up. Her pole twisted like a drill, and the wall beside him splintered into two crumbling chunks of fractured stone. Her eyes blazed under the light of the green flame, and hair danced wildly in the shadow. It was certainly a weird sight to the man-

Did she always have a blue tinge to her hair?

"Step aside brat. Before you go through the wall."

Just as Qrow held Harbinger up for an incoming thrust, the light from his scroll illuminated with a call. His niece was calling, and it seemed that Amber noticed the ping. She smirked, curving the spear into an unnatural angle. When she threw the weapon, it went right by Harbinger's sword form, piercing his shoulder into the same wall, breaking into a perfect seat for him. He grunted when she pulled the spear away, resting it on her shoulders with well deserved confidence. A red and a brown eye gazed far into the darkness, narrowing at what Qrow knew was the elevator.

Wait, did she always have _heterochromia?_

"Train harder after this battle, or else you won't keep up later."

It seems he got to live another day. Thank you, Mistress Luck….

* * *

Oobleck thought the worst when the elevator slid open, seeing splatters of blood, even the floor of the elevator had some symbol carved into it! His eyes watched Ozpin clench the coffee mug in his hand, creating a web of cracks which tested the line of disintegration. The headmaster took in a deep breath before they all stepped out of the contraption into the lowest floor, the greatest secret of Beacon.

What they saw was a scene out of a battlefield.

"How in the world?" Glynda uttered in horror off to the side of the gathering. Ozpin and the rest tightened their jaws once the overhead lights increased in brightness.

In a quick scan of the room, Oobleck gathered as much information as he was able; he considered it fortunate only a third of the pillars in the hallway were destroyed, or else the lowest floor would have collapsed. Stone tiles were upturned from their resting place, many having holes at the centers, others like jagged mountain surfaces as the tops were sheared from pure force.

"I see blood on the floor." Peter was the first to voice his observations. He and the others followed the stocky man's gaze; droplets of blood covered the floor in a spotty canvas, only a few coins thick as far as they could see. How did they miss the trail? It started at the entrance, the same place where they left the elevator. Assuming the worst, Headmaster Ozpin dashed, the stone beneath spider cracked in his wake. Glynda followed him, as did he and Peter.

"There's Qrow." he said for the others' benefit, all but sprinting to the fallen man's side.

The drunken man, known to be their greatest asset in intelligence and muscle outside of the kingdom, didn't look anywhere near the image of one of Vale's best. The man groaned and whined through every movement or nudge he made, still lodged within a crater in the wall. Blood soaked through his ripped clothing, and bruises marked everywhere the sun could shine.

"What happened to him?" Oobleck saw it was an tactless moment to refute Glynda's demand.

Qrow was alive. This meant something, something good he hoped.

However, such a thought seemed to only grace his mind, unlike the others. A dark green aura surrounded the headmaster's form. Small ripples in the air pulsed like a heartbeat, leaving him in a cold sweat. The mug in his hand gave off a dangerous crackling sound, and a dark green aura encompassed said mug. Like Oobleck, Port too took a step back as did Glynda the moment a feeling of heat, the heavy kind which would attract the trio like moths to flame, came from the headmaster.

"The enemy found us." Ozpin said with an ugly scowl on his face. The shield encompassing the mug shined like a green star, wreathed in flame, hideous, dark, and filled with wrath. The amount of destruction it could unleash was something Oobleck did _not_ want to find out, anytime in the near future. Or at all now that he gave it some thought.

A cough, followed by a rough gasp of air refilled Qrow's lungs, the rhythm of his chest moving up and down told the group he was fine. For the most part anyway. However, Oobleck didn't expect the man to sound so serious. Not a wink of drunkenness, teasing, or even his usual 'Grimm-may-care' attitude shone in his eyes.

"No…" he rasped.

The heat and pressure coming from Ozpin's hand doubled in strength.

"No Ozpin." Qrow forced out with a pained grunt, his right hand clutching Harbinger shakily pointing to the end of the hallway. They watched actual dust and ash fall from the man's prized weapon, pieces clinked and clattered while the rifle barrel bent in unnatural angles.

The light in the Headmaster's grip vanished in an instant. Glynda gasped as he and Peter looked on at the scene. Amber's life support, destroyed from the inside.

"Impossible," he uttered.

The cane in Ozpin's hand came to life and he barked a command. "Send out the drones, I want Amber found! She couldn't have gotten far, given her condition."

"Y-yes headmaster." the blonde nodded, fearfully looking over the room again.

"Glynda, I want this _discreet_. Send our best fourth year teams to scour the city, A bullhead will take you to the wall, patrol the checkpoints." He continued. Said woman nodded and pulled up her scroll to send the message. The headmaster however started pacing back and forth, a nervous energy befalling them.

Qrow, the only one able to do anything outside of watching the wizened man called out, his voice getting more aggravated each time he was ignored. "Oz."

"Peter, I need you to curtail the Grimm along the forest outskirts. Given the nature of the forest itself, they'll stay within the few miles of the area, we may yet trap her if she runs to the north."

"Oz, _Stop_!"

Oobleck had never seen the headmaster seem so… threatening at a mere glance. When he finally stopped, Aura pulsed like a coil around him, ready to pounce in moments. "What Qrow?"

"Don't try to go after her." he implored while groaning.

Ozpin gripped his cane tighter. "Care to run that by me again?"

"I'm saying, chasing her won't do any good. She's skilled, you won't be able to find her, let alone a trace of where she was." The wounded man shook his head, each word hanging by a thread of pain. Peter's attempt at supporting the man was swiftly denied with a shove from a good arm.

No one breathed during the moment of silence. Oobleck shivered, he could see the eyes boring down on the wounded drunk under the shades of Ozpin's glasses. The older man tapped the ground with his cane, his voice coming out lowly.

"Given your evident _failure_ to stop her from leaving, detain her even; I question why I should follow your advice." he practically growled.

"Ozpin listen to yourself!" Qrow jabbed an arm, wincing in pain. "You're reacting to the wrench landing in your face. The maidens have been secluded for hundreds of years, and no one's found them. Not even we were able to find them and we stumbled onto Amber out of pure **_luck_**! Listen to reason!"

The ground beneath Ozpin's feet exploded when his cane smashed the floor. Everyone took a noticeable step back as they watched the headmaster take a deep breath, his Aura slowly fading from a bubble into a thin layer around the back. A heavy tension filled the air; Oobleck worried if any of them would commit to something regrettable to each other.

"Reason?! You tell me to listen to reason at this? Where do you think my mind is all this time?! You forget in your self destructive inebriated delusion Qrow, That this! This is a _**Maiden!**_ " Ozpin roared, his aura inadvertently supporting his voice to echo all around them. The pillars that had the power to stand trembled under the weight of his voice, and both he and Peter shared a look before they noticed Glynda shake in place. The woman's fingers froze in the middle of sending a school wide announcement.

Ozpin took a marginally larger breath before he continued, the Aura supported tone was much heavier, and softer, than before. "One of the very few, the four beings in the entire world who have the might of Remnant. The embodiment of real magic! A power that speaks to the world itself! The maiden is the priority, Qrow. She could lead the world into an age of prosperity, or if given to our enemies, a weapon for their gains! The fate of humanity rides in our hands!"

"But Oz-" he protested still. But the headmaster continued as if he hadn't heard him.

"No doubt the forces aligned against us have already noticed the disturbance. They will send as much manpower as they can muster to obtain her. We must do the same to ensure a future of the kingdoms. Mountain Glenn fell under their might after a few decades. What else might befall the main cities? This is for Remnant." Ozpin finished with a glare at the wounded man.

Instead of what any of them expected, Qrow responded with equal fervor. A chill spread to everyone in the room, it felt like an invisible wall of trust shattered once Amber ran off.

"For Remnant, or for _you,_ Oz?"

"Both of you, Contain yourselves!" Oobleck commanded, his legs carrying him between the two opposing men before either thought to take up arms. He raised his hands towards the two, his brain running every possible sentence he could use to diffuse the situation. "I understand while the need for catching Amber is great, but I must agree with Qrow on this."

"Oh?" He froze once Ozpin's sight landed on him. "Do explain, _Doctor_." he invited, deathly calm.

These two were stubborn beyond belief. Emotions were running high, but even so, in any other circumstance they would have found a middle ground. Compromise was the best option.

"As Qrow said, headmaster. Even in the condition Amber was in when we left her here, she was able to _overpower_ him, one of the most experienced Huntsman in Vale, arguably in all of Remnant." he paused when he heard a snort from the man in question. "Second only to his sister, Raven, and the late Summer, yet he lost to Amber. It says much of both her capabilities, and ours."

He raised his hands in a pleading gesture and continued, shivering under the man's cold gaze.

"Please Headmaster. Think about this; Amber is essentially a awoken vegetable in layman terms, and she was able to cause this much damage on Qrow. Look at him." he jabbed a hand at the man, stopping Port from yanking him from the wall. "The forehead, neck, pelvis, thigh, stomach. I could name more but you understand the implications of his bruises. They were made after his aura was destroyed. She could have murdered him like an ant."

If it was only his voice... he would fail. As if his hopes were answered, Glynda's voice jumped in, the one that he _needed_ to turn the tides. "But she didn't."

"The girl is an animal, fleeing from unwanted aggressors. And I know if there's no other options…. If a young girl is with her back to the wall… I fear what she may do." Peter nodded in grim acknowledgment, grabbing hold of Qrow's arm. Many of them, as veteran Huntsmen and Huntresses had seen it before. He handed a grateful look towards the portly professor, and they shared a silent conversion with the sole woman in the room.

Glynda nodded, slowly walking to the enraged leader of their group to give her opinion. "Headmaster, a thought?"

"Glynda?" Ozpin kept his sights on him and Qrow, without a nod or a sign of acknowledgement. Silence filled the air until the woman got the picture.

"She did all this, just to get away. If she's cornered, given nowhere left to flee..." The sentence was left drifting, for the headmaster to fill in the blanks.

In a mere instant, Ozpin ceased powering his Aura and everyone was able to breathe a bit more peacefully. The crackling of stone tiles filled their ears, as the man lifted his cane to walk back to the elevator. He didn't say a thing until the twin doors were halfway closed.

"We will continue this later."

* * *

 **Well hmm... I've been getting messages about how it was 'unusual' for Ozpin to act this way.**

 **This not isn't to defend myself. Actually I hope this can allow you to understand the situation he's in. And if you still don't see how... relatable it is for people like Ozpin to act this way by chapter 5, where I reveal some of the more grand scheme things. By chapter 5, If you guys still don't see or like the Ozpin is depicted, Inform me and I'll see if I can keep the spirit of this Ozpin but keep him toned down.**

 **My reasoning for This Ozpin was based on a combination of Vols1-3 and Vol. 6 Of RWBY canon. We all learned about Salem in Vol 6 and apparently Ozpin was basically 'winging it' since the beginning. He gave off the impression, the illusion of control. He in Vols 1-3 shows him as an intelligent chess player. A political figure and a container of intelligence and wet-works. Here's thing however. He's been playing this game for decades, hundreds of years. People like him, such as other fictional and live action characters, Light, Lelouch, Members of the West Wing, Gattlestar Galactica, Stargate... and many more follow the same characteristics.**

 **When something that isn't part of their plans or expectations appear, they 'panic' in one way or form. They're the 'Master of the game' of course, why wouldn't they expect or presume the variables that will occur. That's the thing, it's a false sense of security. No one knows everything, but they give themselves and others the illusion of knowing everything. Look at it in Ozpin's shoes.**

 **He's been part of this chess game for hundreds of years. Thousands of plans and scenarios have played out for him to win against Salem. The relics and the Maidens are something he needs to watch over. But if one of them goes missing, dies, or just walks away; what's the first reaction? His shoulders are burdened, and like many secret holders, he keeps everything to his chest. He's bound to explode in some way shape or form. I simply notched his setting up by a tick or two. Notice Vols4-6 and the trailer of vol.6 for example of Ozpin no longer being in his comfort zone. Hell The Vytal Festival was the starting point of him losing the reigns over his perceived path of the future.**

 **Once again, I don't want to say I'm defending myself. But I hope you can understand or relate to why he is like this.**


	3. Affected Deviations

**Chapter 3: Affected Deviations**

The air felt cold, even after the long minutes of full stride running Amber took to get out of her captor's sights. Sweat leaked through every pore as her breath grew ragged from the endless sprinting. Her vision blurred every second as she glanced up at the night sky. It had only been a few hours since her escape and she had no idea where she was going.

 _Well, look at that. Moon's seen some better days._

"What's… hhh-what's happening?" she sucked in a hiss, asking aloud, the pole she used throughout the entire night slipped out of her reach. Its loud thud reverberated through her ears, when she landed face first into the cool grass below.

 _Your body couldn't handle the strain. Let alone upping the parameters temporarily. Weird how it's all easy ta see , don't expect anywhere near E+ Ranked in anything from now on._

"What do yo-" her voice failed her the moment the words came out, every part of her just hurt. It was worse than before where all she felt was numbness; she could feel daggers stabbing her from every point, bones cracked and joints popped like some weird orchestra after each attempt at getting up.

 _Just sit down, missy. I'll explain as much as I can before one of the others wake up._

Amber could only nod. There wasn't much else to do; with a resolute decision, she found a sturdy tree to lean her back on. It was a bumpy surface to lie against, but at least she was upright. "Others?"

 _Remember that deck a cards? It's not a full deck, but I'm sure it's not just me in the case._

Lancer was right about that. Amber noted before her injury, she was looking over the cards and found there were less than a standard fifty-two. The exact number eluded her, but she would never have guessed Lancer was a card himself.

"So, why do I feel groggy and with a skull splitting headache?"

 _You got hit by some black insect goo. That… was unnatural, I'll give it that. Did more than hurt you girl, the stuff touched your very soul. It was sucking your essence away… Haven't seen something like that since being alive, back in Ireland._

Lancer's revelation earned her a panic attack. Without thought, she struggled to lay a hand on her chest, nails puncturing the paper thin flesh that covered her heart before her control of the arm was abruptly lost to her. That was a worse act to pull if anyone ever thought of it, leaving the girl to wrestle that with her other arm, clawing at the limb to get it back under her control.

 _Oou! Master, calm down!_

"How can I do that if I can't even-" Amber's control over her body was ripped away from her. She could see through her eyes and experience the rest of senses, but she couldn't control any muscles. Instead, someone else took their hand on the steering wheel, and she could feel her breathing gradually smoothed out to a more normal rate. Both arms started to wipe at her wounds, complete without any direction from her.

 _Was getting to that._

Amber could feel Lancer sigh inside her mind, while 'she' walked over to a nearby stream to clean up. No matter what she did, the hands sloshing water on her injuries did so entirely on their own.

 _Master, we don't got much time before another wakes up so, roll with the punches will ya?_

"...Alright"

* * *

With a long gaze at Harbinger's destroyed shape, Qrow felt the King's River alcohol splash out of the closed flask in his grip. He threw the tiny container as hard as he could, growling when the flask rebounded off the Academy infirmary walls. When it landed to begin spilling the golden drink on the floor, he didn't give it a second glance.

What was Ozpin thinking?!

Glynda ran off to do whatever she was told to do, leaving for the Headmaster's office while Oobleck and Peter escorted Qrow to get him taken care of. He had to explain to the two-or rather, just Oobleck on what happened due to Peter taking off to make the rounds at the dorms. No doubt a lot of students were woken up by the commotion, and he needed to calm them down before anything happened. The disheveled operative understood, even though he was still fuming.

He needed to get it through their heads: Amber was a Brothers' damned _monster_. Qrow wasn't sure how long she had those powers (none of them did), but as far as he was concerned, she could wipe out entire Grimm invasions if she wanted. And that was when she was unarmored and armed with a four foot metal _straw_.

He figured he'd have a few more hours until the withdrawal kicked in. He'd get a drink after all of this was over. A thought occurred to him that he was already experiencing the multi-day long rebound of temper, puking, and overall body killing itself for more drugs, but it didn't matter. Needed a clear head for this crap.

Harbinger wailed as he tried to switch it to her scythe form, every component breaking into some three or four pieces after it was done. She'd chew those Beacon Alumni and spit em back out like no one's business!

Qrow murmured, "Speaking of…"

Nurses and attendants were moving all over the place. By the time he finished patching himself up, a line of gurneys rolled through the hallway, all were loaded with groaning students covered in wounds all over their bodies. Not a single one of the professors were present, not even Goodwitch stood by to watch her students. Even though it was the perfect cover for him to slip out of bed, he couldn't help looking over the wounded-no, emasculated students. Fourth years by the looks of them, almost ready to be classified as real Huntsmen.

What the hell was going on?!

"Agh." he uttered, settling a hand on his forehead. Qrow didn't expect this reaction to set in so soon. When was the last time he had a drink? The man was walking on a boat if he had to be perfectly honest to himself. His footing wobbled and waned like he was in a storm, let alone the fact he felt like he was gonna hurl.

Something in the the back of his mind screamed at him to get sweet relief from the poison of alcohol. It'd been five hours since he got a few shots in at 9PM, probably, and he fought Amber at around midnight... So it was three in the morning right now. Maybe.

"Just…." With an outstretched hand, he reached to the door-frame just a few steps away. "A bit more…"

The walk killed him; maybe it was the pills those nurses made him take, but his legs felt like jelly. Add to the rocking of the floor and his posture... It was an agonizing few seconds just to cross the first hurdle. The first of so many hurdles along his path.

His brain applauded him sarcastically when he crossed the entrance way, but he definitely didn't congratulate himself at all. No sir. Taking mind to not shake his head, or else the pain might double in size, Qrow strode down the hallway using the nearest wall as support. He made for an ungainly sight, hugging the wall like he didn't know which way was up or down.

"Stairs… why stairs?" He groaned yet again, this time when the first foot could barely catch the shift in elevation. With great effort, Qrow pulled himself up to the front desk.

By the look of things the place was packed, even the receptionist wasn't at her seat. Something bumped into his hip and he jutted into the desk with a painful smack. The man was about to snarl an alcohol deprived insult, but instead he was met with a close look at the newest member to the infirmary. He raised a brow when her teammates followed just behind her, each in their own stretchers. Something was off about them.

He shook his head before moving on to the exit. "Gotta get to Oz"

When he got his foot out the door, Beacon was a whirlwind of pandemonium. Qrow admitted, he was glad he wasn't a member of the faculty right now; many, if not all of the students from the dorms rushed around with their combat gear at the ready. A lot of them screamed and yelled on what they were supposed to do, all while hoping for answers. It seemed that Glynda never got her announcement out.

Speaking of, there she was emerging from one of the elevators. The moment she showed a single hair of her presence, students rushed to crowd the woman likened to a flash mob.

"Better not get caught in that" he mumbled as he crept along the edges, thinking it didn't look like it would calm down anytime soon. With a swift movement, he grunted at the impact with the wall, and with a hand guiding him, he got closer and closer to where the elevator should be. His head banged at the concrete, earning curses along the way.

The pressure on the side of his head got harder and harder, and even once the elevator was within arm's reach, it looked different than before. Where was the button? Why was the door so small? He groaned while he pawed at his escape path. Above him there was a sip of some drink and a clank of metal resounding pounded at his ears like Yang's motorcycle with a cylinder firing wrong and with a third party muffler installed. His eyes trailed to discover a half-awake Oobleck overlooking the thrashed operative, thermos in hand alongside some generic notebook anybody could buy at a store. Bags littered the man's eyes as he tried desperately to stay awake.

"Why're you sideways?"

He watched the green haired man take another sip. The response was filled with puzzlement following an unabashed and uncommonly slow (for everyone aside from Oobleck himself) drawl. _"You fell."_

"Oh." So that was why his ribs had a pressure there, and why the room spun the moment he reached the elevator. The ground still wobbled when he pulled himself up with the help of a _real_ wall as a useful brace. He only needed to press the right button and start the countdown for the elevator.

"I'd advise you to not speak with Ozpin." he glanced at the man when he spoke. His tone went back to a more… normal pace for a man filled with espresso coffee twenty-four seven. Oobleck kept one eye on him and the other on his notebook, fingers rippling on the spine. Whatever it was interested in him enough to keep taking sips of concentrated heart attack (not that Qrow was any better with his bottled liver killer). "He's preoccupied with the events thus far."

Qrow scoffed, holding his head in expectation for another stab to the frontal lobe, "All the better. Oz needs to get it in his head. Running after the prize this early in the game… mistakes are bound to happen."

"While I agree with your notion. I must press that you do not go. Especially since his anger has begun to move towards you."

Qrow looked back when he stepped into the elevator, surprised at the man's admission. What'd that mean? Wasn't Oz already angry at him? Sure, it might have been a moment of passion to yell at someone but still. Sure the man always looked like he was in peek control of everything around him, He didn't even flinch when Ironwood tried to flex his influences. Maybe Amber was worth more than any of them realized.

Oobleck had some resigned look at his face, the same kind whenever a student under his wing was treated less than the utmost respect, in Port's own words. He leaned on the closest wall, brow raised and started to realize throwing away the flask was a bad idea.

"The reason for his delayed response to Amber's escape I'm afraid." Oobleck said, his notebook closed with a soft thump and a wrinkled expression appeared on his face. The man looked like he didn't want to say anything more, but after a moment of thought he continued, "From what I've learned, he and Glynda had a run in with a promising student of Signal. One with Silver Eyes"

Silver…. Ruby! The closing doors slammed back into their hidey holes, and he leaned forward with his full attention. Who else in all of Signal-no, in all of Vale had silver eyes? And she met with Oz tonight? How? Why? The girl was still a kid, fifteen years old, and he wasn't finished with training her. There was no way she was ready for anything the old man had planned, not at this stage. It was Tai that wanted him to help to keep it a secret. Her medical records and student profile said grey, not silver.

"Ozpin is all the more determined to have her join Beacon as fast as possible. He believes it is his fault that Amber escaped, without ever learning about herself. He should have been there when the young lady woke." Oobleck shook his head, "I'm sorry, I understand and don't blame you for keeping this information from him. I also think he wouldn't blame you either... if not for Amber's escape clouding his eyes."

His jaw hung open, completely speechless. So that was why Ruby called. What _**luck**_ ; He sneered in at his own semblance. The call that made Amber spare his life was what was _complicating_ everything afterwards. This was also the first time the Doctor used some of his 'Doctorate' to good use. Oobleck sighed as he walked away, letting the injured man half stumble back inside the elevator. Just as the doors closed and the machine winded up with the help of a winch, he slumped onto the floor with a sputter. For the first time in a long time, Qrow's mind ran.

Everything was moving too fast. It wasn't like the other times, where at best he'd have a few direct jobs to do a month, less even. The moment Amber was found, Oz put everyone on a knife's edge. Everything needed to be prepared, planned for the next move. Missions to the wilds, spying on the White Fang, and even worse, running interference with _Council_ meetings. So many concurrent jobs, with little room for error.

Things went downhill from there. Beacon's relationship with the Council plummeted to the point where other kingdoms were looking at them with suspicion. They argued and snarled at each other as if they weren't friends since the beginning. Police went lax in training because Huntsmen started taking over their jobs, and the news played off of Ozpin's suggestions. It had all the signs of a coup in the making, and the worst part was the headmaster didn't seem to grasp that. Qrow figured it was just Oz doing chessmaster things. The old man would fix it all after a few instances, but now… he wasn't so sure.

He was regressing, going back to the old days when he had Summer in his entourage. At a time like this, they needed the rest of Vale more than ever. Qrow didn't register his fist connecting onto the wall, a sizable spider webbed dent if anyone cared to look.

And it all made sense. This was the _**endgame**_.

* * *

 _So, where are we, Master?_

Lancer's voice echoed in her mind once again, after a few hours of traveling. He was nice enough to let her take the time to process everything. It was amazing to see all her injuries heal in the span of seconds even with her Aura being… shattered and broken. Wounds that would take weeks to recover from were fixed in under an hour, with only some lingering aches as a reminder. Physically, she was fine. But spiritually?

Her soul was broken, rent and torn from the attack which got her locked up in the basement. And it was all because of that woman with the sticky Grimm bug. Amber shook her head, orienting to the present rather than the past. She would handle it… even if she was the only one in the world who could.

 _Master? It looks like a destroyed city._

Or rather, that's what she'd think. With a smile, she answered; considering what accounts to her new roommates were souls or… something didn't know much about Remnant when they healed her. "Best guess? Mountain Glenn."

The towering sights of half cut skyscrapers and ruined bridges came into view, and she shared her senses with those souls. Not that she had much control over what they could and couldn't experience. The air hurt her lungs as debris filled air touched her throat. The ground beneath her feet became crunchy with all the broken down rubble covering the asphalt.

Mountain Glenn. It was famous enough that even her village out in the frontier knew about it. The first serious attempt by anybody for an expansion, to permanently force the Grimm away from the growing kingdoms. Thousands of people were living here in complete safety for a time. Now all that were left were ruins, and whatever treasure they hid away when the people fled.

"Maybe I can find some food here. Clothes would be a big help too." She murmured, as piles of moth eaten clothing invaded her senses. Whatever building she was in at the time probably used to be a clothing store, but this wasn't what she wanted. Something in the back of her noggin warned her to stay in the forest, but she was useless right now.

 _Thou should allow me to handle the needs of aliment._

A woman's voice echoed in her head instead of Lancer's, speaking in some old fashioned dialect that Amber needed moments to process what they meant. Without really knowing how, she had a name for this newcomer.

"Archer, I'm practically weaponless." She complained, her feet guided her through multitudes of different buildings, each time getting closer and closer to whatever district the place was supposed to be. Whatever signs the city had were long gone, spray painted over, or stained in blood of whatever daring explorer had the bright idea to stick around. Navigating cities was difficult as is for her, adding all these problems wasn't helping her mood.

Amber coughed out another heave of dust filled air, wincing when glass crunched underfoot. Maybe she was in the same boat as all these unlucky people? But for entirely different reasons.

She heard Archer grunt and hiss, almost like a cat when she laid eyes on a skeleton of a small family, clutching what looked like a six year old boy behind a counter of a supermarket. Amber had to guess she didn't like seeing people dead, especially when they were civilians.

It took awhile but after searching as best as she could, the she located a locked warehouse at the back of the supermarket. She grinned; finally there might be something to eat. Fresh foods were out of the question after this long, but canned stuff tended to last a long time, Rust covered double doors had been weak enough to fall under her meager strength, yielding after a punch for either one. A loud crash filled the air around her, and with a small coughing fit, she fixed her eyes to the sight in front of her.

What greeted the woman's eyes made her despair.

The entire wall of the warehouse was completely destroyed. Whatever was left of cargo containers and stacks of food were gone, eaten, or destroyed by whatever came this way. Nothing larger than her hand was intact as far as she could see. She searched through whatever canned goods that still looked okay, picking up can after can to inspect. Sadly they weren't, every single one was either rusted or cracked open, and she wasn't willing to test if she had an iron gut.

With a sigh, Amber left the store to continue her search over Mountain Glenn, taking heed to not disturb the Grimm that prowled the streets. When the number got larger than what she was comfortable with, a quick climb to the rooftops allowed her both vision and easy access to paths around the area.

As the shadows of night grew long, Amber's stomach growled just as fatigue started to soak in. With gritted teeth, the girl tried to find a place to rest. It'd only been four hours since that fight with the drunkard.

Instead of a reprieve, whatever survival instincts failed her, yet one of the other souls succeeded in making her dodge a thrown rock. Maybe she was jumping at shadows, but it sure looked like a rock that went over her head and landed on the ground. With her head turned back, she met nothing but the face of a twenty story building with most of its walls destroyed. Bits and pieces of itself fell after a gust of strong wind.

"Did you notice anything?"

 _No. Thine senses dulled over the short time of unrest._

 _Best not ta stay here Master._

Amber nodded wordlessly at the voices. Whatever was around or not didn't seem like they wanted anything from her, but she should get out of there as fast as possible. She doubted someone was actually watching her, but it was best better to be safe than sorry.

 _Master_

Lancer's call broke her concentration. She swerved her head as she pressed against the lip of the rooftop she was in, minimizing her profile; She hoped it was enough to hide her. When she spoke next, it was barely above a whisper. "Bandits."

On the street below she saw a group of people, a four men taking up space. She could see they wore stitched armor looking unprofessionally slapped together. Their armaments seemed to be the same way, an even mixture of beaten up guns and melee weapons. This particular group looked reasonably well organized.

One man was different however. His armor was in far better condition than the rest, or at least it _was_. Two men held his arms while the last wailed at him, eventually switching with one of the others for them to have their fun. Either with their own weapons, debris, or with simple fists. Every time a bandit attacked, the victim sputtered in pain, causing the rest to laugh.

 _To steal is normal for one to survive. Yet these blackguards deem it necessary to torture the weak._

Archer's words rang true as whom she figured was a huntsman breathed a shallow breath after another strike from some bandit. A dull thud from a bloody mace was quickly wiped with a strip of the same man's torn clothing. Whatever happened to these people Amber could make an educated guess; The huntsman was alone, clearly he didn't think he'd encounter a challenge, or he just wanted to use the city as a quick resting stop. Funny how she could analyze someone's combat problem after tasting her own brand of lessons. She bit her lip. As much as she might want to, she couldn't do anything in her condition.

At least it wasn't until another voice came along in her head. She gritted her teeth, knowing they'd talk eventually. Just not at a time like this.

 _Uncultured brutes clearly have had their fun. As loath as I am to suggest it, opportunity knocks. And it would be most impolite to not take it._

"Assassin…."

 _It's only per their karma, Master. Both your body and reserves in Od aren't working correctly. It would be best if you sustain yourself what with the best you can find. We should thank them for the meal._

The voice that sounded like a noble woman filled with every ounce of human vanity thought possible confused her. There was something definitely wrong with what she said, her delivery clashing with the meaning of her statement. The others didn't interject or attempt to dissuade Assassin from taking her vocal cords right after she asked. "Wait, what do you mean?"

 **"[Takeover; Assassin]"**

Damn it, she should have known. Amber was sharing with Lancer, how else could she have used the rooftops as a road, or make the door fall with a a few punches?

Amber slowly walked over to a broken mirror nearby, the reflective surface grimy from years of neglect yet clear enough for her to see. A quick hum and a long check of her body made the original will inside her head cringe. The moonlight glistened along her Aura infused biceps, veins glowed slightly before it traveled down her fingers. A shade of gorgeous blue covered her nails as they extended out about an inch at least.

With those newly grown nails, Amber played with her hair, a dark brown that slowly blended into grey then sharpened to stark white at the tips. With another hum, one golden eye examined the status of her face and ignored the bandits laughing and joking out in the distance. Her hair was slowly fixed into something much more presentable. Something that at least framed her face and went down to her collar bone.

"We're going to need to make some big improvements when everything is said and done." commented a voice that was her own, but spoken in a way Amber would never say.

 _What being done? Assassin, please. I know they're outlaws, but I don't think this is a good idea. What happens if there actually is someone watching us? We might be taken back to that coffin again!_

"Heavens dear, Just let Carmilla do what needs to be done." Amber said openly, clearly without the need to hide herself. With a grunt and a grimace of effort, she dashed across the few dozen meters directly at the center of the group of bandits. And to think, her agility was barely even at mid E Rank. Amber showed a sinister grin when the men jerked to the intruder, **"Thank you for the meal."**

* * *

The aftermath of Ozpin's jittery pacing and discarded coffee mugs were an unwelcome sight to Qrow when entered the headmaster's office. For a moment he thought he walked into Oobleck's room instead. His eyes scanned for anyone else; it was just him, Ozpin, and a magnitude of screen projectors open, each feeding in a view to a different location. Signal Academy's screen drew the raggedy man's attention the most, including transfer forms for his nieces.

The headmaster of Beacon looked like he didn't notice him arriving. He rushed forward at a strong pace, his hand slammed into the desk to make piles of forms fly around them and a headache started to grow increasingly more powerful as he spoke, "Oz!"

"Qrow. While I see we have much to discuss, this is _not_ the best time." The man's words held a restrained tone, presenting his back to him. Ozpin stopped to peer over the rest of the school's grounds, thanks to the windows encompassing nearly the entire room's facing. This only led to him gritting his teeth as he smashed a fist on the table like a gavel. "It would be best if both of us were at a much calmer and relaxed situation before continuing."

"Oz! I heard the news. Were you in Patch tonight? That's my niece's records…. Both of them!" He said with a wild hand gesture at the two offending panels which held Ruby and Yang's transcripts, both documents holding glaring red exclamation marks. He'd look into them later, but for now this was more important.

"I was in Vale." he corrected flatly. "It was a stroke of luck that I and Glynda were near the events of a Dust robbery where Miss Rose attempted to apprehend the criminals." Qrow kept his gaze on Ozpin's own smoldering brown eyes. He had wanted to interrupt but instead, the headmaster's words were faster. "If you must fight to have this conversation now, I will give it to you. While in any other circumstances I would agree with the possible assessment of your thoughts and actions I was building since my first meeting with Ruby Rose; The loss of Amber has made me very cross. If I was given the time to process, I would forgive you for your lack of trust in me about Miss Rose's condition, and we'd discuss the implications of letting Amber escape much more peacefully. However, it seems you've decided to take it up to me now. I believe you had your own objectives from the start."

Damn it, Something in his head was messing with him. His vision was blurring and the words coming out of Oz's mouth only fueled the flame of his anger more. He _needed_ his FLASK!

"Oz, I get what we're trying to do here, but Ruby's still too young! Even Yang, she might have graduated but look that those marks! Even I know those are pending charges and complaints against her. As much as Tai would disagree, she's a minor; So two, maybe three nights at district lock up would teach her to be a bit more restrained." he argued passionately, waving a hand for emphasis. That arm of his ached and he felt sluggish when he spoke. His teeth clacked together with a weird mess of numbness at the lips.

For the first time Qrow had seen, the old man actually scoffed, or at least that what he assumed was scoffing. Without turning back, without looking anywhere else than the general direction of Amber's supposed escape path, Oz swiped with a hand. Panels and holograms of Yang's 'transgressions' in her public record were wiped clean. Forms and complaints were erased, and Beacon's own funding was drained to separate bank accounts. Some went to Vale's District Attorney, others to a Mister Hei Xiong. A testament of the headmaster's political might.

"Restraint. Yes, I know we've been like this for a number of years. But maybe restraint is something we might need less of in the future. Waiting does little when we know the Queen not only has Rooks, but Knights, and Bishops as well." A screen of Ruby's own record appeared while the man spoke; grades, police files from the night earlier, and even the Dust shop's accounts were edited after another drain of Beacon's funds. "If Amber is no longer with us, and with no method to find her again, we need an edge. A Silver Warrior will even our odds against the Queen. I admit, I know little of the Silver Warriors. They are _older_ than me."

Qrow's knuckles were white from him clenching too hard. Ozpin was starting to think everyone was a chess piece again. Just like back when Summer was still around. The operative couldn't stand it, hating that Oz was putting too much focus on something they didn't have a full grasp on. The original objective was to prepare, and the Silver Warriors were something they knew as much as the Maidens, which was far less than they let on. Sure, they knew the Origins, or so Oz claimed.

"Oz, they're not me! The kids aren't ready. You should know this!" His voice came out a bit too pleading for his liking, but he needed to get the point across. This was a dangerous path Oz was starting to walk, and he wanted no part of it. Much less involving anyone he cared for in this madness.

"Then maybe you should have told me your niece had silver eyes, so that I may train her myself." The headmaster's bite was swift and unforgiving. Qrow had to admit, if anyone could teach Ruby, it would be Ozpin. No doubt he would have made her the greatest warrior in all of Remnant.

But this very thought just proved his own point. Ruby wasn't a tool. Just because he was damned didn't mean he wanted anyone else to join in on this lifestyle, or else what was the point of all their sacrifices?

"Oz. Tai and I were going-"

"Leave Qrow. It seems I was too eager to allow you to join this circle after Summer's untimely death. Your attachments to your nieces are a trait I admire, but sometimes, we must pay the price to keep them safe and alive." Ozpin lectured evenly, sipping from his mug like he mentioned the weather.

Did he say what Qrow thought he said? Was he being let go? A familiar feeling came back to him, something even alcohol wouldn't take away.

 _ **Rage**_

"Then maybe the rest of us should've known what her mission was so she had backup."

It infuriated him that Ozpin didn't even turn around at his spiteful reply. The man calmly took another swig of his coffee, hot chocolate, milk- whatever to Grimm it was.

"Yet you know the need for secrecy and still try to scold me on this? Something I've spent many centuries in learning both the need for it, and it's consequences. We do what others fear of doing for the greater good." The man sighed at him. It only served to fuel his rage while the nagging desire for Alcohol faded only slightly into a whisper.

"I may require someone else to work on missions for a certain amount of time in the future. Maybe some time with a breath of fresh air will cool our heads. Again, maybe if this were a different situation, both of us would never have said what we had earlier." Ozpin's voice never changed, but the threat underneath was clear, added with a hint of regret. "Leave Qrow. I will not repeat myself again. "

The ragged operative thought he would jump over the desk himself, and attack the man for a much needed wake up call. Instead, Qrow clicked his teeth as he stomped out of the office.

"Fine. I'm done talking to a brick wall." he muttered, just loud enough so he knew the headmaster could hear.

A weary sigh was the only response that sounded off in the empty room.

* * *

 **A/N: Ok. I hope you all enjoy 'Death of the Author' by Roland Barthes. This fic primarily focuses on this kind of spirit in it's narrative. Kinda Fate-y I guess? Sorry to say but, From now On. I'll have to change the Rating to M. Assassin and the potential reveal of an antagonist kinda force it if I want to keep them 'true'.**

 **Ospin's reaction to Qrow about Ruby was based on Vol-1, Episode 1. He was so surprised and in awe at the existence of Ruby's silver eyes that it almost felt to me that he wasn't 'read in' about Ruby. It's highly possible the two men discussed about this during the time Ruby studied with her Team, and it allowed the two men to settle a few differences, or explained themselves to each other. You gotta admit; If Qrow and/or Tai knew that Summer died because of Oz's machinations or had an inkling that it was about her Silver Eyes, they be overprotective. Shielding the girl until they thought she was ready. Ergo, Qrow being the one to personally teach her how to use a Scythe, being quick with movement, dodging instead of taking hits. Etc.**

 **Ozpin's mentality and situation will be revealed slowly. I am after all, Fusing both the Fate and Rwby lore together. How else would Zelretch be able to access Remnant? Writing prompt bullocks?**


	4. Red Like Blood

**Ehhh...heh? Well... No pitchforks yet... please? All in due time.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Memories of Old, covered in Red. Red like Blood**

" _Headmaster, Is this a good time?_ " A speaker from the side of his desk called out the very moment he took a second to sit. With a few moments of silence for him to settle down after Qrow's exit, Ozpin took a sip from his mug.

A sigh filled the air, the brief and calming respite allowing him to finish his work. The chaos and uneasy mental stress slowly released. The holograms closed out and he responded with a push of the button. "Glynda, what is it?"

" _Sir, I've got a call from the Vale Council here on hold._ "

Of course. He wasn't arrogant enough to think his actions weren't being watched. Even more so as it wasn't just one or two members, but the entirety of the council's body announcing themselves. The longer they were put off, the worse things would be when the inevitable meeting began. With gritted teeth, Ozpin reluctantly accepted. "Put them through"

Standing up again, he sighed and steeled himself when a fresh holographic pane opened in front of his desk.

"Councilors" he acknowledged once the feed appeared a moment before he processed what he saw.

His eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't just the Council, or what people would call the Council as the top five members of the Kingdom's administrative system, but the full Assembly. All eleven members who oversaw the entire city of Vale, as well as it's sister cities, administered villages, and other prominent entities of the kingdom were here.

Despite the unwelcome hitch Ozpin schooled his expression into an impassive greeting. "I did not expect to see you here tonight."

A woman with dark blue hair was the first to speak, her hair barely fixed and no make-up whatsoever gave him the hint he thought he didn't need: None of them were prepared. They looked as if they just woke up, and were doubtlessly not in the mood for the usual fare.

"Ozpin, a lot of us admit to being hastily summoned. None of us would prefer to call either. However, it's come to our attention of a… situation in Vale proper."

 _So that's what it was._ A moment of relief filled him; none of them knew of Amber, and none of them were aware of the situation in his school. He was sure at least one of them had a spy that worked as a faculty member, a janitor, a gardener, or any other position within his domain. Amber's escape, the rumbling of the school, and the shaken CCT signal didn't see the light of day. That was good.

"Members of the council, I fail to understand where you're going with this. To my knowledge, Beacon's fourth years, now soon to be fully fledged huntsmen, were overly enthusiastic in celebrating their final days before graduation." Ozpin quickly placated their worries.

Some members who came from different cities nodded at his excuse, others merely narrowed their eyes, searching for a way to refute him. Ozpin knew some of them lived or oversaw the areas where his students were injured, therefore they wouldn't take him at face value. If the collateral damage police officers forwarded to him indicated anything, his words were falling on deaf ears. He smothered a grin; it wasn't like any of them would outright counter his excuse.

A loud scoff reverberated the room and through the speakers of Ozpin's office. His own gaze met with a pair of bright cyan ones, instantly turning his look cold. The former placating smile he had turned into a firm line.

"Is there something to add, Councilman Thana Wild?" Ozpin responded plainly.

The youngest council member of the assembly, always with the damnable half-smile on his face. His striking eyes were free for all to see as the red hair parted at the center of the forehead, going back that looked somewhat like a mullet. He wore a dark velvet suit with a yellow tie which attenuated his handsome youth of just under thirty years old. He looked and occasionally acted too immature for such a demanding position, yet the facts remained for him to see. This man hadn't gotten his Council seat by luck, and to dismiss him was to court disaster.

A slew of public camera feeds appeared, replaying the nights events in Vale. The man kept his half-smile on as he responded, just as the rest of the council slowly grew frowns. "Mr. Ozpin, according to our sources of information, your students were searching for something. Whatever it is, we do not know. But, it seems to many of us that their goal might be crucial? Many, if not all of your students that were sent to Vale, came back with injuries."

"Is it criminals, Ozpin? White Fang?" Another member asked out loud, a wave of murmurs and discontent growing around the table.

Ozpin ignored the others as he kept his sight on the redhead. This man was an aggravating thorn in his side. Many other members gave him problems thanks to greed or short sighted ideas, yet they still knew when to back off if he needed them. They knew the rules between Beacon, Vale, and the rest of the kingdoms. This one…. seemed to ignore them. This man was what allowed more members of the council that were… progressive compared to the traditional valued to speak their minds.

"Nothing of the sort. Call it a final surprise test, I had advanced level huntresses play the role of fugitives. I apologize if that may seem odd." he smoothly lied.

"Really, quite different from the usual curriculum I'd say Mr. Ozpin." Thana said with a hum, causing him to grit his teeth. In a different occasion he would've admired him. In fact, he would join in the man's views openly to the public, but this was not one of those times. Too much was at stake, and he needed everyone under his wing, unified, before the Queen would strike again.

Another member chastised, slamming her fist on the table. "If you can't explain to us what your true objective is, other than creating mass panic and fear by having your students let loose and gung ho in the city, resulting public injury. Then you should fix this mess that you made!"

 _Ahh, Lady Tale of District 14_. Her area was the location which had the most damage to homes and businesses, thanks to a overly eager fourth year's explosive dust combination. Her rage was… understandable. One hundred and sixty seven thousand lien in damages, and twenty eight casualties. He suppressed a frown and a shake of his head; if he showed false apologies and callousness, they'd see it as an insult.

At least no one died, making his task marginally easier.

"Indeed, the news is already spinning this story. Vale's new protectors, Unfit or Overzealous? Perhaps allowing you to advise the media on how 'Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace' resulted in immediate backfire." Ozpin grit his teeth against another member's snipe. Many of the council believed he was unfit to be headmaster, for all sorts of petty reasons. He already knew what the next voice would be.

With a firm voice, and a desire to reaffirm his status, Ozpin countered, "This school was built eighty years ago, back when all of us struggled to survive right after the Great War. I am the second headmaster of Beacon in all of its existence; it was I that recodified the protectors that kept this city and yourselves, safe. I've spent decades managing this place, with support from the previous king of Vale I might add. And this is your response?"

"No one is arguing against your contributions Ozpin." A member quickly backtracked.

He frowned when Thana added in, counter to his expectations, a defense. "In fact, it is because of the legacy that you helped create that became the pillar of support for the people of Vale."

"But perhaps your age is catching up to you. " he swerved his head back to Tale of District 14. The woman had a grudge it seems. She continued as other members nodded with her, Ozpin had to control himself when his actions came into question. "You don't have to look farther than your own track record. In the past few years, you utilized controversial methods in how Beacon conducts itself. You were the one that denied our rights for full-time security details on our resources! _Food_ Ozpin! Do you expect Vale to keep importing nearly 80% of our food supply since the end of the Faunus Rebellion?!"

He kept his mouth shut to let another add in, "Do you expect us to sit idly by, twiddling our thumbs with our foot up our asses and let your huntsmen; _yours_ , not Vale's, do all the work?"

While everyone knew Huntsmen were independent, many chose to keep into contact with different organizations for the long term. People outside of these rooms believed their protectors only had themselves to rein them in; in reality, it was dirty laundry that the academies held command over their students after graduation. Ozpin shook his head. "And have a repeat of Mountain Glenn? All of us know what occurred there. That is what happens when untrained, Aura locked _'Citizens'_ decide to take supervision of Huntsmen away from professionals veterans like myself."

"That is a gross over-exaggeration and you KNOW IT!" An elderly man, one of the oldest who most definitely remembered the time when the Mountain Glenn 'incident' occurred, roared with resentment. Considering the man's attitude, he was probably there, and it showed as the assembly began to become a symphony of confused arguments. Members talked over one another, while others had shouting matches instead of the civil discussions they had during normal hours.

"Please, members of the council, and Mr. Ozpin. We all realize feathers have been ruffled, and old wounds reopened. Let's keep this civil shall we?" Ozpin narrowed his eyes at Councilman Thana. A subversive voice chose to pick a different side than the past? What game was he playing?

With a generous allowance to let everyone situate themselves, Ozpin had to keep his face from grimacing at the implication of the night. This wasn't just some meeting, it was nothing more than a moment to allow the Council to vent steam at him. Officially, everyone had to play nice, but now...

"Of course. To return to the act at hand. How do we expect the Kingdom's needs accounted for if most of our 'heroes' are out gallivanting far in the wilds?!" the old man resumed his shouting. Now that was certainly an exaggeration. He frowned at the jab, a migraine already forming at the center of his forehead. "What were you thinking Mr. Ozpin? The Huntsmen of Mistral and Vale have an astray factor of three out of five, Compare to Atlas' one to four! We don't even know if they're missing, turned over to criminal activities, or simply perished against the Grimm."

If he had his cane… or his mug in his hands. The glorious, pristine white mug filled with heavenly drink was just out of his reach. What else could he do in this situation? He was helpless in front of the statistics. To call themselves protected at the rate of Mistral's turnover was an insult.

Vale was and always has been in a greater era of prosperity. Mistral, despite its continuous chances over the years, were corrupt to the core with it's council, while Atlas was forever a step away from tyranny veiled in niceties. Of course Atlas held onto it's huntsmen in an iron grip, how would it survive without them? The environment of constant shale destroying wind, blizzards, and the occasional advanced Grimm did little to bring chaos. In fact, these were the excuses Ironwood made to increase the Military's presence. Vacuo's 'leaders' understood how little power they actually wielded, and acted accordingly.

"Our Huntsmen are the most open to taking missions from all over. You cannot deny the simple fact: Our kingdom has the most settlements out of the rest. This requires more huntsmen out on patrol, or taking missions that need them farther from the center of civilization." he countered with fervor.

His words held truth; Vale was the only Kingdom that chose to expand. And while the kingdom took great hits in its coffers, whether it concerned money, manpower, or materials; Vale was the one that took strides in advancement. He had to smile at the irony. He was the one that refused to allow Vale in expanding, and yet here he was. Using the same actions the Council made behind his back to create more settlements as his defense.

"You mean the ones that give them the most money? Or perhaps, the most glory? It's an open secret how the SDC are able to keep their assets in check. Whether it's against the Grimm, White Fang, Unions, or even discontent 'Employees', they have the needed manpower available to provide solutions to those problems. Don't get us started on our dwindling Frontiersmen." Tale attacked back with facts of her own. A sad state of affairs for the SDC; the constant rumors of controversial practices were indeed true, not that any kingdom allowed the media to cover the issue of course.

Ozpin should have been insulted, yet he wasn't. Huntsman advanced towards the Grimm, not retreat. While many saw them as shirking their duties for 'glory' as Tale stated, it certainly was not the case. Yes, they died like dogs in the wilds, but they did what called to them. To push back the Grimm in undisclosed locations, keeping the beasts away from the secured settlements. The illusion of peace was kept by these perished huntsmen and huntresses.

 **A Beacon of Hope**

That was of course a fact only the Academies knew of. The implication of the SDC employing huntsmen however….

This was the time the other shoe fell. Thana jumped in against him, his words bore a strikingly simple fact between Beacon and Vale. "The Arc family are so far some of the _only_ fully active huntsmen and huntresses that work their blood, sweat, and tears to keep our people safe, with little to no reward in the process!"

A mistake he should have reconciled long ago, Ozpin reluctantly admitted to himself.

"Not to mention how our own Huntsmen have moved out into the wilds to either live, or charge gung ho into the dragon continent after legendary Grimm. Monsters even our greatest historians have no record about. As far as we're concerned; if they haven't awoken, don't _poke_ the Manticore."

A belief that diametrically opposed his own, he sourly refuted. That out of sight, out of mind thinking would bring ruin to their precious home.

"Our priority should be making the kingdom prosper, and prepare for the inevitable. It doesn't matter if it's a soldier, or a huntsmen. We need someone to protect the assets. Resources Ozpin, Raw materials, Crops, Dust, this includes the transportation of these resources. Or the Kingdom's economy will dwindle, our people will _starve_ , the Huntsmen and our allies, the other kingdoms will be without what's necessary to keep them afloat; and that means _**money**_." Thana declared, stabbing a finger at him like a knife.

The hope of stability, freedom, independence, and security, unopposed from the machinations of a forced sense of inter-kingdom dependency that caused a rift between them. The CCT, the Academies, the reliance on Dust, Wood from Vale, Ore from Vacuo, Food from Mistral, and Atlas' military show of power….

Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding. Something Oobleck stressed from a ruined old book he found long ago. Advice from the great past that he ignored. Oh how he regretted it now.

"Councilors, and Mr. Ozpin. We're moving vastly away from our original point. This can continue during standard meetings, not at a time like this. I'm sure, many of us have to still controlling the fallout of this…. fiasco." He and many others nodded thanks to the unnamed, unmentioned Councilor that put it forward.

He stifled a scoff as Councilwoman Tale was the one that finished for the assembly's behalf, "Of course. Ozpin. Keep your students and your school's actions in line. No one here wants the kingdoms to fall. I hope you understand that."

Images slowly disappeared one after another. Ozpin however couldn't even think about relaxing. There was still one feed open, and this time it was one on one. Councilman Thana Wild looked at him with his damned permanent half-smile, as if the man knew everything in the entire world.

"Mr. Ozpin. I hope all the effort you put though brought you some ease."

"Whatever it is you believe I am up to, Mr. Wild, I assure you. This may be the last."

"Then my sympathies for your students then."

His eyes narrowed, "Explain."

"The test you… drafted for them to succeed. Even if it were true, it paints a picture of your administration to be incompetent." The man's smile widened by a margin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought Beacon was moving it's timetable a bit too quickly."

He responded back stiffly, "I assure you, Beacon is the light that will shine out into the darkness. My school has no intent in disabling or limiting the survivability of the people."

The image of Thana pulled farther away as he watched the man lean backwards. The camera seemed to twist to the left and out appeared an open window of an empty street in the commercial district. Ozpin had to guess it was a restaurant of some kind, maybe a diner that the councilman took his call in.

His eyes widened at the lights of a set of Valien police vehicles, each one with a pair of officers and surrounding them looked to be average citizens. Thana himself was witness to an event that Beacon's actions caused. Gritting his teeth, Ozpin pulled into a neutral face. This man did know something, he had front row seats!

Ozpin knew his question would invoke a need for 'negotiations'. _Quid pro quo_ was the name of the game, and he wasn't the type that owed favors. Still, this councilman was playing in a game that was beyond his imagination.

"Councilman, Why don't we cut to the chase?"

He watched the man lean forward and speak. "Stop investigating the Faunus businesses in my district. You know as well as I that bad PR is the least of your eventual problems. Huntsmen don't just walk in unannounced with commandeered badges to harass my constituents."

"We both know those constituents of yours are known felons." He countered with facts. Those were potential criminals who played with the morale of the city. Any one of them could potentially bring more into their fold, not to mention Grimm smelling the chaos that would ensue.

Wild's eyes closed, his smile never leaving it's original position. "And they did their time. They were tried with circumstantial evidence at best. Not to mention how their defense attorney pressured them to confess. The people of-"

"There's no crowd for you to showboat, Wild."

The man waved it off. "Regardless, it's a matter of both reputation and of public morale."

"Fine, I'll put a word in to the police commissioner. As long as I am the first to obtain security records of the events that took place tonight." He acquiesced to the silent terms. It earned a nod, and the councilman spread his arms slightly out.

"Agreed. See? That wasn't so hard."

Ozpin took a moment to swirl the liquid in his mug before asking, "Is there anything else?"

"One of your eventual prospects. A certain Yang Xiao Long."

His response was quick, already experienced in the same song and dance that other rowdy students done so before. "She will be given extra social classes, and community service for her transgressions. I've already been informed of countless complaints."

"Do that. I hope you'll give your support for the Gryphon Defense Bill that will be appearing in the next few days?" The man asked mockingly, as Ozpin knew it was his most lenient punishment for the girl. Thana knew as well, he wanted to collect the sign of weakness. Better to him alone than than be taken up in the rest of the assembly. Dozens were hospitalized and some were not expected to make a full recovery. Bystanders, not just criminals were injured by this volatile powder keg of a girl. The council would be furious.

Thana's concluding words were like a twisting knife. "As you've said before to all of Vale every year. Huntsmen and Huntresses are heroes that pave the road through the darkness. I hope they stick to that while no bridges burn along the way."

He frowned at the hidden threat and decided to make one himself; a trade of fire might curtail the man. "Wild. Do not attempt another olive branch for the dissidents of Vale."

"As if any of your huntsmen would let me. Keep your eyes peeled Ozpin, the 'future' isn't the only thing you should worry about." He watched the man abruptly cut his feed, but not before delivering set of words that haunted him since the Faunus turned violent. "You're the reason why the Valien White Fang turned radical."

* * *

The first victim's end was quick, her claws cleaving through unprotected arteries making the throat gush out a shower of blood. As much as Amber wanted to revel in it, there were two others she needed to take care of. In disappointment at the pair's reactions, neither were terrified.

 _A-Carmilla!_

"I'm just taking out the trash, master." Amber responded out in the open, allowing the bandits time to draw their weapons. A rusty blade and a thrown knife hit air as she spun out of the way, arm ran down her face and side to collect some red ichor. A taste made her grimace at the quickly dying man on the ground. "Your blood is disgusting."

 _You didn't have to-_

"They're bandits, dear. They live to be executed." Amber refuted in derision. She took a good look at the opponents in front of her before continuing. "I thought someone of a country girl background such as your own would appreciate the removal of scum."

"Crazy Bitch!" the no-named bandit with a blade screamed with indignation. His jaw was quickly met with an open palm, cracking the lower jaw in under a second, letting it hang their with a bare few strands of skin and muscle. Before he could react, Amber backed off with the same palm held close to her chin.

"Silence you neanderthal." she spoke with disdain, as if she was talking to a bug. She tsk'd while checking her nails, inspecting for any flesh stuck from before. "You have permission to resist with all your might, but that doesn't mean I give you the privilege to speak."

The second lifted a pistol of some sort, not hesitating to fire. Amber scoffed while sidestepping each shot, until he was left empty. An idea quickly rushed up into her mind, and ignoring the voice's protests, she vanished with a ripple of dirt and rubble.

Her feet made impact with the man's calf as he grunted from the pain. Another quick trip left the man tumbling to the ground before he could respond, rolling in either pain or attempting to escape. She disabled him with a stomp to the kneecap. Wondrously, Amber relished the scream echoing around her.

"I expected more from you. You must have a hard time keeping it up~" she said to the fallen bandit, coldly smirking. His Aura flicked in and out until it fazed out into nothing. Amber huffed once she sensed the air fluctuate.

With a tilt of the head, a blade missed her neck by a wide margin. Her feet twisted and stepped forwards, right hand grasped the assailant's wrist and the other on the elbow. With a light push, the arm broke in two. Another few steps forward with her hand still on his wrist, she pulled hard until it dislocated at the shoulder. A trip and a stomp to the back and both were down, groaning and moaning all the way.

"As much as I'd like to play with the both of you, Master is anxious. Not to mention I'm underdressed." Amber complained, her hands inspecting the nooks and crannies of her body as if it were the first time doing so. She grinned when the men's eyes met hers. They trembled, leaving a sigh of relief filling her ears. That turned for the worse for them when she continued, "Oh, but I'm not going to let you go."

 _C-Carmilla!_

"Master, We need to be healed. At best I'm at the lower E ranks after this fight. I'm hoping to earn D ranks somewhere after these pathetic toys." Amber responded while lifting the two men up by the back of their necks. With ease, she lead them to the previously ignored 'huntsmen' on the ground. He didn't look like he could move, let alone fight. Now that she got a better look, the man looked young, with alabaster skin and a shade of purple hair. He looked handsome, and she could have expected worse. Smiling, Amber bent over him to purr. "You aren't a young maiden, or a beautiful woman, but it will do."

"Wh-what?" he tried stuttering, but she hushed the boy with an index finger. Her hand trailed up to play with his hair for a moment.

"Not bad, the shine is nice, but you fail to care for it."

The three men were silent around her, the first that lost his throat already dead before she finished disabling the others. Amber scanned around her vicinity, a gleam of bright blue catching her eye. Leaving the three on the ground, not even caring to let the huntsmen go, she made it to the spot that caught her attention.

With a delicate hand, Amber lifted up a long hilt of a double edged blade. 'Claymore' or 'greatsword' couldn't even explain what this thing was. It looked beautiful at least; the hilt, pommel, and intersecting pieces were a pitch black metal in the middle of an H shape. A large block of solid metal of some sort was at the end of the hilt, sandwiched between the upper gap of the H. Attached to sides were large one sided blades at least the width of half a tree trunk each. It had a glossy white shine and the edges were darkened with constant sharpening. Slots that looked that it could fit gemstones were left empty. The entire thing was bigger than her with room to spare.

Amber frowned. "I don't qualify as a Saber class."

 _What's the point? It's going to be stained with blood, dirt, and anything else you can think of._ _Worry about it after the fighting's over._ Lancer from inside was the first to voice out his opinion. The weapon was a topic that many others began to add their own opinions. The ones awake or chose to speak at least.

Archer scoffed, a glare appearing in annoyance. _Whomever dost created this is a fomp. A silly fool. It makes thee a visible target for any in the woods. Beasts could smell the oils used to shine this…. Thing._

 _And leave this as some gardening tool? Worse, taken by bandits like these?! If you don't treat a weapon with respect, then it'll fail you. If no one here wants it. I, Iskandar, will take this as my own.  
_

One of Archer's ears on the top of her head twitched. _Thou wants to take it with us? Rider, Ye can't be serious._

 _Why not? Master requires a weapon if she is to survive, and everything we've found aren't up to expectations. Nevertheless, I am intrigued by the changes of this current era on Earth.  
_

The conversation broke off once Amber perked up in confusion. _Earth? This is Remna-_

"H-hey! That's mine!" Amber's thoughts stilled to a halt from the invading voice. With a turn, she found the owner to be the same 'huntsmen' who was taken captive.

In a ripple of fluttering dust, Amber landed with the massive blade by her side. To the men, it looked comical to see a twig look at ease with something thrice her size and at least twice her weight, held in only one hand.

"No crawling away you two." the girl spoke without looking back, eyes firmly set on the huntsmen as she swung the blade down between the two bodies. The earth beneath cracked, making a small crater to let the blade bury itself a few inches deep. Amber leaned toward the unknown huntsmen before snickering. "You don't even look like someone that could carry this monster, much less make use of it. Are you compensating?"

"I-It's for Goliaths. Deathstalkers!"

 _Weak and idiotic._ Archer mused in disgust. _A pretty face that takes advantage of allies covering his weaknesses, nothing more. Medea would have killed him on the spot.  
_  
 _There's a thing called common sense._ Lancer added with a shake of the head.

"That's your excuse. What about smaller foes?" Amber chastised, pointing behind her. The man squirmed in place. "Like these bandits that took you down?"

Silence filled the air, the woman taking the chance took look him over: he had bruises and cuts on his head and arms, but a lot fewer than she'd expect from someone taken captive. He was either weak, or gave up after a short fight. Or perhaps, none at all.

The man gulped, quickly changing topics, "T-thanks for saving me. Now, if you could just let me go and-"

"Let you go?" Her words made the people around her freeze. A gleam sparked in her golden eye before taking the huntsman's throat in her hand. With a tough squeeze, she lifted him up from the ground. Repositioning he hand to hold him up like a plate, her secondhand straightened into a makeshift blade.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" he somehow shrieked past his clenched throat.

"Why, dear. I thought you boys would have figured it out when the first died." Her words made the men shiver in fear. A cruel smile appeared on her face the moment a bandit wet himself. "As much of a poor excuse of a meal you are, you're at least able to let me shower."

 _C-Carmilla! You don't have to do this!_

 _They're weak! Prey for the predator to become stronger. These men will get no sympathy from me, Master._

 _Just… just leave it girl. She's doing what's best. You can't complain when the only ones keeping you standing is us. It'd take weeks with good food to even get us healthy again. Sides, criminals are getting their just punishment. Who knows what history they have._

 _B-but still!_

 _Master, It's natural to be sickened by these acts. I do not blame you, nor do I think any less of you. The worse is to feel nothing of this._

 _….  
_

"Master, May I?" Amber asked in disinterest. Her nails trailed down the man's chest  
to his lower stomach so very delicately, as if inspecting his squirming body.

 _…Alright. But! Only bad people from now on… ok?  
_  
"Of course, Master" Amber agreed softly, belying her smirk. In a swift motion, her nails swiped across his torso.

Blood rained down her body, seeping into whatever undergarments she had on. The man screamed in agony every second of every minute during the experience. Each breath of air to scream again slowly died into a wheeze. His eyes fogged up into glass, warmth left his body quickly, and Amber was satisfied.

The two bandits desperately tried to crawl away as she was bathing. Unbeknownst to them, Amber's skin slowly absorbed as much red sludge as possible despite some draining into the ground beneath. Her skin glowed a slight hue, and Amber gasped as her muscles tightened. Skin shined and glistened into a new kind of glow while her scars inverted into a bright white, like ivory; claws and blade marks on her stomach, ribs, shoulders, arms stood out like shining lights in the dark while the face wounded her like a brand.

She touched her newly changed scars after dropping the exsanguinated huntsman like a bag of grain, understanding the changes. They were smoothed out, no jagged or burned skin, no dried or flaky packed marks. It was if they were tattoos instead of wounds. It didn't take long for her to reevaluate the situation, and dart to the fleeing men to give rough stomps on their backs.

"Don't worry you two. I won't bathe in you. Your blood's simply too disgusting for my palette."

Fast as the wind, Amber grasped both men's necks in her claws, puncturing the arteries. Instead of flying out, the blood drained into her nails and flowed directly into her body. She breathed a sigh until she had her fill. What remained were husks of people, as she dropped them with a flick of the wrist.

"Not as much as I'd hoped. At best, I'm only D ranked in agility." Amber mused. She frowned at the clothes the men were wearing, ignoring the lack of quality. Remembering the massive weapon before, she picked it up and carried it in her hand. It might prove useful for later.

"I wonder if there are more."

All the while the 'original' was silent though it all.

* * *

The pilot of the Bullhead he asked to get him to Vale was the no nonsense sort, something he appreciated now. Liftoff only took a few minutes, and the trip itself was at most a couple hours. Qrow couldn't take in the sight of Vale nightlife during the entire trip. His anger was getting the best of him. He was getting irritable, anxious, and a little nauseous. Despite his sour mood, the man was currently putting on a cheerful front.

"So how my favorite niece, huh?" he cooed through the scroll held beside his ear as he walked through the sidewalks somewhere in the commercial districts.

A giggle came off the scroll lightly, making him smile a bit. " _Uncle Qrow! It's bedtime, why're you calling?_ "

The man passed by a few people going to and from home at this late hour; graveyard shift must be killer for the average Aura-locked individual. A glowing white signal indicated for him to walk through the road as he spoke. "Oh? If it's bedtime for you squirt, then why did ya pick up, huh?"

" _Because, no way I'd miss a call from Uncle Qrow!_ " He chuckled at the girl's enthusiastic response. A few ducks and weaves by more busy cars stuck in night traffic allowed him to get to the slums. He was only a few blocks away from the nearest incident with those fourth years. If the cops left them like they usually do, he might be able to find a clue.

He had time enough to spare a call with Ruby.

"Alright then, If you're so eager. How about we talk about something I just got news of." the girl hiccuped in alarm when he changed topics. He stifled a chuckle when the image of his niece covering her face with her hood came into mind.

" _Umm..._ "

"Nice job kid! You went toe to toe with a group of criminals." he praised, smiling as he passed a darkened shop.

" _Wait. You're not mad?_ " Ruby said, surprised at his response. It earned a raised brow before she continued. "Dad had a big talk for both of us tonight when we got home."

"Oh? What'd Tai say?" he asked lightly.

" _You're too young to just jump in the middle of danger! Those creeps coulda had smoke grenades or grabbed a hostage! One of those guys could'a been stupid and blew up the entire shop with a missed shot. Stuff like that._ " she explained; he could tell the girl was pouting through the call.

"Rubes, your dad's just worried about you. Can't have daddy's little girl get into danger." he playfully rubbed, covering his mouth when he heard an indignant snort.

" _I'm not little! I drink milk!_ " he chuckled at the same argument Ruby made every time anyone called her little. " _Anyways, a huntress jumped in to help me out when those guys got into a Bullhead._ "

He chuckled just as he tilted his hat at another huntsman passing by. He decided to tease the girl a bit when he made it to the southern part of the district. "I heard you got sent to the police! Still fifteen and you're getting into trouble? You're not taking advice from Yang are you?"

" _Uncle Qrow!_ " the girl responded in mock offense at the notion. She giggled. " _The headmaster of Beacon Academy came by personally!_ "

"Really?" his tone lowered just a slight bit at the mention of Ozpin, suddenly glad he wasn't in a video call. A moment of clarity consumed him and he tried to reach for his flask, but he stifled a groan when the memory of him throwing it away reappeared. "What'd he say?"

" _Umm…. Well, it was weird that a man like him said I had silver eyes. Yang warned me about boys randomly saying something like that. 'Oh, you're beautiful. Might you allow me to gaze at your eyes for a bit longer.' Cheesy stuff like that._ "

 _Damn it Ozpin. You were really eager to find something to tip the scales weren't you?_ The chime of an open liquor store closed behind him, the man barely aware on his beeline to a display shelf. In his hand was a new bottle of bourbon seemingly leaped, like the alcohol was throwing itself at him. It was about time to start up the ole habit again. He didn't like himself if he didn't have something bogging him down.

"Let me guess. He offered you a spot in Beacon?" he asked dryly, his smile gone.

She gasped at his great deduction skills. " _Yep! It's so cool right? I get to go to Beacon!_ " A moment of silence stayed for a few seconds too long until she mumbled, " _But I'm kinda worried._ "

"About?" Qrow asked in a bit of surprise. Had she ever talked about her issues with him before? Or at least, was this the first time he was fully cognitive for him to notice? Her words came clear as day to him, her feelings emitted through her voice so easily. Was she always like this when he was drunk and she needed advice? What... had he been missing all this time?

He decided to find a bench to sit down on and listen. The bottle of liquor was left unopened beside him as his attention was entirely focused on her. This… was the first time he felt truly sober to offer advice since Summer came along.

Ruby hesitated through the scroll, it picked up her anxious breathing before she talked. " _Well, if I do go. I'll leave my friends behind! I won't know anyone, And Yang's the social one. I'm just…_ "

"Awkward? Dorky?" he smirked, crossing a leg to get comfortable. He knew what was going to happen next.

" _Uncle Qrow!_ "

He laughed a bit; even without the video on, he could imagine the girl fuming and pouting in front of him.

"Alright squirt. Let your favorite uncle give you some advice!" he leaned back with an arm by the end of the bench.

" _You're my only Uncle!_ "

"Details, details." he waved off with a shrug, getting up only after realizing his original objective for the end of the night. He walked away with the liquor in tow, back to the closest spot those fourth years encountered a fight. "So, you're wondering what you should do right?"

" _Uh huh!_ " she agreed.

"Well, say no more kid. You got your scroll don't you? And Signal still is in the CCT range of Vale, how else would you girls get your TV shows and Yang's… Achieve Men." he stressed the last with a shiver. How could any kid like those autotuned fools? Was it just teenage hormones, or did those idiots make for good drama?

A hint of confusion filled Ruby's voice. " _So you mean calling them and stuff?_ "

"And texting, video sharing, all those things you kid's have been doing for a while now."

She pouted. " _It's not the same!_ "

 _Looks like that argument didn't work_ , he thought. _Time for option two._

"Well, think about it this way. If you go to Beacon first, your friends will know what they're getting themselves into when its their time."

" _You mean cheating?_ "

He flailed his arm a bit, causing a few passerby's to back away, and others to start giving him a bit more room. His response was with a bit of mock hurt. "Of course not! You're just telling them what to expect."

" _But-but what about the people in Beacon? Yang's been calling me 'The Bee's Knees._ "

He snickered after remembering what the phrase actually meant, to an alcoholic like him anyway. "Well, you're definitely not the Bee's knees, kiddo. How bout this?"

The girl held her breath, waiting for him to give out his best pep talk.

"Beacon's a school that kids from all over head to right? That means it's not just Valiens. People from Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo, even Menagerie will be there. There are a lot of people that are coming that that don't know anybody. Fresh start, just like you." he explained brightly.

His eyes followed a brightly colored set of blonde hair walking beside him. He slowed his pace to get a good look at the kid: scrawny, out of shape, but most assuredly determined. A sword was strapped to his waist, looking like it was more of a museum piece than a weapon. To top it off, the kid walked around like a tourist, a country bumpkin finally at the 'big city'. Qrow made a mental estimate of how long it'd take before he was mugged of all his belongings: the factors he saw placed the time at two days, perhaps three.

"Who knows. You might find another weapons aficionado. Or you might make friends with a Gladiator, a Hyperactive Berserker, a Martial Artist, a Dust Expert, or even a Ninja." Ruby gasped at the implications of all the new people he just described. "Kid, you might even find another dork, just like you. And you'll be the best of friends." He silently thanked the blonde for giving him an idea to put the final nail on the coffin of his persuasion.

" _Really?!_ "

"Of course. You remember the old saying, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet." Qrow smiled, quickly clutching his throat to stop a hiccup. Now wasn't the time to think of who once told him that.

" _We'd be besties, dork buddies... Opposite wielders!_ "

He smiled, imagining what she was doing right now. Probably jumping in excitement, crashing into pillows and the occasional fallen toolbox. "So whaddya say? You think you'd want to miss out on Beacon? I hear the Vytal Festival is hosted here this year. You might even get to compete, and your Signal friends will cheer you on."

" _Uh uh! No way, no how! I'm going. Dad! I'm going to Beacon, and you can't stop me! Thanks Uncle Qrow. You're the best!_ " He had to pull the scroll back when she squealed. A large slam in the background on her side sounded off.

Wait a sec… Did Tai not want her to go? Putting it in the back of his mind, Qrow shrugged. "Anytime kiddo."

A long silence followed the end of the conversation just as he reached the spot. Police cruisers dotted the area, followed by a few spectators. He flashed a smirk at the guy in charge, who let him in with no fuss after just one peek. Perks of being Oz's blood crow.

He was able to get a bit of time to check out the scene, noting that nothing looked out of place until a few grunts and a bit of running water told him Ruby was still there. It was kind of a security blanket for her; the call doesn't end until someone said 'bye' or something along those lines. Raven… Summer, and even Yang's incident back when they were kids left an impression. Ruby went back to the call after a few splashes, a bit of uncertainty lined her voice. " _Hey, Uncle Qrow?_ "

"Hmm? What is it, Ruby?" He paused his investigation to lean by a wall, he kicked some trash out of the way and scored into a dumpster.

" _...Usually you'd be slurring when I come along and talk. Ehh...did something happen?_ "

Qrow had to take a deep breath for a moment.

" _...Yeah_." he mumbled. His eyes landed on the bottle of unopened Bourbon, his prime choice for daily drink, and thought about the past ten or so hours.

Seeing Amber again after that dreadful day, despite her clear degradation she stood up and walked to him, almost by magic. And it worked; he got his ass handed to him like a student again in just a few minutes, perhaps not even that. She even had the skill and the mouth to complain he was getting rusty. The eventual encounter of a panicking Ozpin, stumbling his plans and hysterically trying to make up for losses, something he'd never thought he'd see _**ever**_. The stroke of luck when he bumped into Oobleck, who warned him about things he ignored, that lead to the eventual argument in the headmasters office. A fight that probably broke the trust they had for each other, or at least, they'd keep each other _further_ than at arm's lengths.

With a weary sigh, Qrow looked up at the broken moon and back to the bottle again. It'd been a long time since he was sober. Before Summer smiled at him, and gave the final order for him to drop the drinking and be a good uncle for the girls….

"Yeah Ruby." he said with a complicated expression, his eyes still firmly on the bottle before looking up again. With an overhead throw, the Bourbon crashed into an empty dumpster, spilling it's expensive treasure all over the trash. He smiled just as he ended the call, not letting the girl respond. "I think I'm gonna go straight, starting today. Goodnight 'little gem'."

A glimmer of silver caught his eye, located by a set of fallen chairs in front of a cafe. He followed the trail of broken concrete and puncture wounds on an umbrella before stopping.

"What's this?" he mumbled, bending over to snatch the glimmer off the ground.

In his hands rested a small unassuming trinket. It was looked like a small arrowhead or molded plate of silver connected to an equally silvery chain. A set of two black chevrons pointing up glowed before they went a dull white.

Qrow frowned when the glow vanished. "This wasn't Amber."

* * *

 _Maybe the rest of us should have known what her mission was, so she had backup._

Ozpin sighed as the man's words returned to his mind. He didn't anticipate the amount of resistance, nor the danger Summer had faced at the time, and Qrow knew that. Again, one of the many failures he had to endure.

 _If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought Beacon was moving it's timetable a bit quick.  
_  
Was he moving too fast? So much so that even unknown, inexperienced, untrained citizens knew what he was planning?

Possibly. Was it warranted? He nodded to himself while he set his mug back down on his desk, returning to his arching window to peer out into the distance. The events to come would be pivotal moments for all of Remnant; Qrow simply couldn't see the bigger picture. None of them could. The fools on the Council, the authorities in Vale, the hapless citizenry, all of them mistook their delicate society for permanency. Unable, or perhaps unwilling, to do what had to be done to keep them alive.

 _Don't poke the Manticore.  
_  
He scoffed at the sheer nativity of the claim. The Grimm didn't need to be poked. Even when asleep, they were threats simply because the Queen was alive. Her movements had begun to hasten, the White Fang just so coincidentally followed in tune, and criminals in the underworld stirred the pot in Vale. Now….

The man sighed. Amber woke from her slumber, and escaped. This was a factor that could not be explained. Try as he might, Ozpin couldn't think of an explanation; there was nothing, nothing in his multitudes of lifetimes he went through that could be the catalyst. Science, technology, and whatever little knowledge of Magic eluded his search for answers.

The worst of it all was when Amber's status floored him; the moment his fourth year students, the closest thing to a true Huntsmen and Huntresses, came back alive, however damaged, in such a way that he had to reevaluate her. She was… _powerful_ , in a way he hadn't seen for so long. If he didn't have the knowledge beforehand, he'd suspect Amber to still be whole as a Maiden. A spike into his mind brought him just moments into the distant past before he shook his head.

He did not anticipate the power he gifted to those original four girls to be this extreme. Truly, Amber's appearance was a hidden stroke of luck. And maybe a new blessing in disguise, as he found Ruby, the first Silver Warrior since Summer herself. And….

 _Don't mess it up, Kid._

An old memory surfaced. In an age, an era long before the kingdoms, long before huntsmen, perhaps when the Grimm had first blighted this world. A time where he was just a young man in his first body resurfaced. A time when he stumbled and tripped through life. Back when he first discovered magic, and the subsequent choices afterwards, for good and ill. He gripped his chin in preparation of a small gasp. When the breath was released, it came out as a corrupted mix of a sob and a hiss.

 _I don't have a name. But if you need to call me something. Archer, or Hunter._

The image of a man unknown to him appeared like a gift from the brothers. The man helped him. _**Saved**_ him. He murmured, "Silver"

"A Silver Warrior with no name kept his sad back towards me. Clad in black leather and a red shroud, he would strike down all that came to stop me." Ozpin said to himself, eyes glistening. The man's Silver eyes and White hair bore a stark contrast to the tanned skin he had. A human, which for all intents and purposes, appeared once, and only once, to him.

The man fired swords, spears, arrows, hammers, and axes of all different varying designs. Each one a weapon that could have been used by a legend in days gone by. It was also the first time he met men and women that surprising knew exactly what he was. People that wielded magic just as he did, and they called him a _**Sealing Designation**_. A disruptor of Gaia and Alaya.

Even to this day, Ozpin never found out what those people meant. Try as he might in all his lifetimes of searching, nothing ever came up. No mention of a Gaia or an Alaya in any history book, lores, fairy tales, and legends. The closest he ever found were a few moments of prayer by farmers and people of the land. Those times, those were just a few instances of coincidence.

Gaia is after all, another word for Earth, and Remnant was just shorthand….

He shook his head to see the man again in his memories. A shining beacon in the dark. Unknown to anyone save himself, his Academy's namesake. And sole reason why none ever earned the title, Hunter. He would always remember the man's words, bold and fearless as he slew hundreds of magic wielders who came after him.

 ** _I am the bone of my sword_**


	5. Watcher behind the Wilds

**A/N: Merry Christmas**

 **B/N: There we go folks, review and hit those favorite buttons. There's no way to get feedback if nobody says anything.**

 **A/N: What a... interesting way to say things. Anyways. My Beta, How-not-to-do-something, guys. Shout out for him. If you're interested in his own RWBY fic where it's crossed with Stargate, I recommend checking it out. Now on with the chapter. I wasn't very happy with this, but it was ...meh enough.**

 **Chapter 4: Watcher behind the Wilds**

* * *

 _D-don't you think that's enough?_ Amber hummed at their master's words, somewhere from inside the mind. She was already on her twentieth victim by the time said voice chose to break away her self imposed silence. _We should stop._

"And let them go, master? Allow these ruffians to pillage and destroy the next village they come across?" Amber induced by Carmilla mocked, making the the twenty-first bandit quiver in her hands. A claw pierced his leftmost rib and pulled it out, his flesh wetly tearing after the bone. His scream was ear piercing in its agony, followed by bestial roars. Grimm had picked up on the scent of negative energy. "Mercy for beings that would, without warning, attack your own village and kill your family, leaving you, your grandmother, and a handful of villagers to fend off the Grimm?"

The Master didn't have much to say after that, and the others knew it. They had a link which allowed them to feel and see both the surface and deeper thoughts from within them. She was inexperienced and weakened since the beginning, so her ability to control and command them were shot from the start.

But that wasn't the issue, not really. If she didn't want them to kill these people, the Master could've stopped at any point and time. Assassin didn't want to make enemies with her master, nor the others for that matter; so if they truly didn't want to commit this awful crime, she would have ended it and be just like Lancer, more of a fusion of their egos instead of having full control. It spoke a lot that their Master's surface desires conflicted with her innermost wants.

She smirked as she dropped the dead body, after a few minutes of drawn out torture and exsanguination. Her eyes went to the 'buster sword' she set on the ground, and a quick snatch brought it to her hand. It was a chore to take the weapon without a holster of some kind, but Rider claimed the blade even when he wasn't a Saber class. That being said, a sword would prove useful if they needed the slumbering Saber or Rider to partner with Master. With a jump over a rubble heap into a darkened room, Amber prowled the area for more victims.

Despite their weakened form in Parameters, Od, and Noble Phantasms; Many of their skills were in full effect. Even with a Rank D in Presence Concealment, Amber could easily hide herself against normal human enemies. These bandits weren't like her, they weren't even Magi. A curious thought arrived that reverberated throughout the rest of her mind as she looked around atop of a roof.

"Where are the Grimm? The so called common knowledge of those with souls are walking signals for them. Yet…. We haven't seen any at all."

 _Maybe it's because of our luck._

 _So speaketh the man cursed with an E rank in fortune._

Lancer clammed up at the accusation. The image of him kneeling with multiple arrows lodged in his chest stood out for the egos to watch. She chuckled slightly before she met the back of another bandit, this time with his back to her. He seemed to be talking to another a few meters away, oblivious to her presence. With her vision, Amber discerned a total of five in the entire group, spread over a small roadway with each bandit scavenging for materials.

After scanning the scene, she threw the buster sword skywards, the gust of wind and the following tremor of slicing air proved to be effective in distracting them.

 _They're still normal humans, even after whatever this Aura of theirs is on._

 _I told you, it's their souls_

 _Doubt it, Master. If that'd be true, The Heaven's Feel War woulda been a huge waste of time._

 _What?_

 _Master, I agree with Lancer. Even during our living days, none had seen the true use of a soul. If Caster was willing to speak out, he'd explain._

 _~Hehehe. Now, why would I want to help out?_

 _Caster…_

 _It's not important master~ If everyone wants to believe as that, I won't tell you otherwise~_

 _Maybe you just don't know. You're fake. Not even a real Caster_

 _Oh, how it wounds me~ hahahaha I sure am real, as real as when I was made~  
_

By the time the conversation was done, Amber already had taken down the first target by breaking his left leg and pinning him to the wall with his own blade. Carmilla, despite having qualifications for only Assassin and Caster, was skilled with all manner of weapons. Naturally, for the sake of torture.

The other bandits screamed and hollered at her sudden appearance, buying her time to grasp her pinned victim's knives. She threw them at the nearest bandit in the legs and arms, disabling him for her to rush up and deliver a kick into a window sill. Amber dodged a few bullets while pilfering an axe top, flinging the separated portion at the offending gunman. His screams punctuated the air, until a swift kick sent him into a nearby stop sign. The man landed with a length of rusty pole in his stomach.

"Tsk, I'll have to make this quick now." Their master didn't say a thing while this all occurred. Little did she know, Carmilla was slowly sharing more and more experiences and control of her body to the young ego as it were. The others did little to dissuade her.

The girl may not have wanted to bring so much agony to those people, but she sure did relish in bringing a kind of 'justice' to criminals that killed their own for sport. The feedback in her mind proved it when Amber got the third one to lose an arm, via her inexperienced use of the buster sword. A scene of the young mind shaking her fist with a look of retribution was clear for Carmilla. Unless they were influencing her as much as she influenced them….

In five minutes, all the bandits were rounded up by the one with his stomach in a stop sign. She drained the one in critical condition first, although dried blood did little to assist the healing process this time.

 _Why don't you let the girl handle these last four?  
_  
 _What?! No! I won't! I… I'll just let them go, see!_

 _Ouuu, use those eyes girl. Assassin's good at what she does. The men will bleed out before they make it to a safe haven. Sides, yeah, it's 'not right' to kill them when they're down. But they are murderers. Pillagers too if you look in their pockets.  
_

"You won't get away with this! The Ibar tribe will hunt you down to the ends of Sanus!" one bandit screamed at her, clutching his broken legs.

 _Ibar? As in the Yew tree? Was Vale part of Ulster? So much time has passed…._

 _I'm telling you, I don't know of an Ireland, or a Greece, or anything you're saying!_

 _Yes, yes~ Back to topic! How about it? Let our little Master finish them off._

 _Why don't you do it, Caster!?_

 _Temper, temper. I'm a pacifist you know~  
_

Everyone that was capable of such, scoffed at his words. Amber rolled her eyes and waited for the discussion inside the mind to be over. Rider and Lancer approved of their master's views, and refuted Caster and Archer's desires to let the girl take matters in 'her own hands.' All the while, Amber slowly tortured the bandits until they reached a conclusion. The screams could be heard, miles away.

 _Assassin, make it quick… please?  
_  
"How persistent of you, Master" Amber mocked, fingers curling to grasp a fresh victim. "Fine. They'll be fuel for our healing."

The draining was quick, blood flowed out of their veins and into their own. When she was finished, an exhale left her while their bodies dropped to the cracked asphalt. After dropping them, Amber flexed her muscles a bit before checking if anything changed.

"Hmm. D Ranked in Agility and Endurance. Our creation of mana and storage of Od is only slightly healed, but it should do. It can heal itself thanks to the Egos, or should we say pieces of our souls?" Amber murmured to herself a bit to scan the area. "It's still much less than we expected. Strength is still at E, and calling for our weapons might be difficult."

The clapping of hands spurred Amber to twist herself around.; they were so focused on their situation that she forgot about her surroundings.

"Woooow. That was a beautiful show! I gotta say, you'd make a pretty partner." The man said with a twisted grin on his face, dropping from a store's roof. He was pale, with golden eyes and a brown ponytail braided together into a tail that swished in the wind. Both his white and brown jacket were left open to reveal a large scar which criss-crossed his chest. On his arms were purple bandages and a pair of leather vambraces. His steps were fast yet careful, making little noise.

Amber's eyes narrowed at him, which earned a deeper casual smirk from the man. The way he moved set off alarms from not just herself, but all the souls. He didn't speak anymore, and neither did she as he went to inspect the corpses from the side. Amber slowly backed off to gain some distance.

 _This man. Tis not luck that he caught us unnoticed._

 _Yeah… He's good.  
_

"You really did a number on em." the man's praise did nothing to elicit a reaction. He whistled as he lifted a man's stub of an arm to inspect. "Not a clean hit, and you wanted that too. I'm impressed."

Amber said nothing, shifting her footing.

He stood up to face her with a look of admiration, and a sign of regret. "Man, I wish you weren't the girl I was looking for. I really do."

By her side her fists clenched in preparation.

"We coulda had so much fun. Add you to my lady's group, and we'd partner up." the man continued with a deranged expression on his face, imagining the possibilities as he seemed to prowl.

Amber scowled, "Explain, curr."

"Oooh, just hearing you speak makes me think you really would have made a welcome ally." he said excitedly, a hand up to fan himself down. In an instant, the hand turned into a fist, and his mouth opened to brace an exuberant inhale. "But sad to say."

Amber widened her eyes in surprise, her right hand putting the buster sword down slightly diagonal to the ground. Sparks flew as a pair of blades clashed with her own. "I've been ordered to kill a girl like you on sight."

 _He competes with our speed!_

 _Looks like humans of this age can reach the capabilities of Servants.  
_

Amber twisted herself, hiding behind the massive buster sword against another swipe before grasping an exposed wrist. The man seemed to know what her plans were, and countered by forcing her to duck behind the blade again. With a kick, Amber forced the sword up to create some debris.

She quickly fixed her positioning to thrust forward with the sword, only to catch the man rushing towards her. Sparks flew and the sounds of grinding metal were heard. As the man dragged his wrist blades at the edge of the sword, she responded by letting go of her weapon to give him a roundhouse kick.

Sadly to say, the man ducked and rolled out of the way.

 _He's dangerous. This knave can fulfill a weak Assassin class. We've yet to heal, tis caution is what I advise.  
_  
"Oh that bronze skin of yours would do wonderful with a bit of your blood to contrast those white bits." The man yammered on with no concern to keep the fight quiet. Barrels unfurled at his wrists and he fired. "I wonder how that eye of your might look, petrified for a necklace."

The shots came at her at a furious pace. Machine gun bullets peppered the ground, advancing on her footsteps as she moved around the battlefield. With a sudden thought, Amber grasped a nearby plate of metal and threw it in his direction. It gave some wiggle room for her to stomp on the pommel of her fallen buster sword. Bullets clanged on the side of the blade when she grasped it in front of her.

"How unsightly."

* * *

Up on a tower, far above and away from all the living beings, a man in a red shroud watched a certain girl weave in and out of dust bullets before giving the offender a swipe with her weapon. The corner foundation of a building shattered, making the three story wall topple down in a tremendous crash. Dust and rocks encompassed the airwaves, and the sparks that appeared every few seconds were the signs indicating a fight.

"Look at her go." the man said, drawing the line of his black flatbow to his chest before releasing it, aiming at a few dozens of Grimm to destroy them. No amount of mundane debris would be able to blind him of the battle. Their abilities, despite being a D rank, were identifiable to his eyes.

Though she was only gracing the surface of her new found abilities, the girl was able to allow the egos of the spirits inside the cards to take over her body. He should have guessed they were special when Zelretch appeared out of nowhere to hand it to her. The man grimaced; this was a dangerous game they were all playing.

"It's not like I have a choice though." he murmured before a pitch black weapon with edges coiling around it's core appeared in his hand. In a smooth motion, the 'arrow' was notched, line pulled, and he called out for it to awaken. " **Cleanse the plains with unneeded prey, Hrunting."**

The arrow immediately pulsed with a red glow, cracks appearing on the surface of it's core before he let loose. His shot transformed into energy, moving not at a straight line but rather twisting and turning to dispatch any and all Grimm around the current vicinity. He made sure to take heed in being as quiet as possible.

Emiya shook his head. It didn't matter anymore, he was a counter guardian. The janitor of Alaya, even if the orders since the turn of the fourth millennia were… different, to say the least.

 **[Do not interfere]**

 **[Limited actions]**

 **[Negate third party interference]**

 **[Kill neither]**

Archer crossed his arms, whatever this plan that Alaya and Gaia hatched up wasn't going to be pretty. Of that, he was sure. Especially when Zelretch was somehow allowed to pop in unannounced. Amber was giving a good show for sure, but the Scorpion was just a bit faster, a bit stronger. She was forced to retreat east, into a large sewer entrance and down south to a pool of water. The Scorpion thought he had the chance to spring out his tail, but instead Amber dodged it and used the surrounding overgrown foliage to wrap the limb in place.

"Hmm?" A slight bit of movement caught his attention far off to the south east, beyond the edge of Mountain Glenn towards the forest. With a quick usage of reinforcement on his eyes, he was greeted with the image of a man trudging along an unbeaten path towards the fallen city. His eyes followed his direction north, eventually reaching a possible intersection where the man would encounter two people he was not to interfere with.

The strange man probably followed the sounds of distant fighting, as well as the previous screams of agony. They were very loud to say the least; buildings toppled to the ground, metal trucks and bridges exploded from Dust weaponry, and the unhinged screams of deranged laughter courtesy of the Scorpion did little to make it discreet. He shook his head at the man's luck. He'd have to die now to prevent the fight from being known.

In a swift action, an invisible hammer fired, power gathered at the core of his magic circuits as Emiya consolidated Mana around him as easily as breathing. Perks to being a Counter Guardian. The energy grew into a thin, blood red spear. **Gae Bolg** would give the man a swift, painless death, the least Emiya could do for this luckless passerby. He sucked in a breath and drew his bow taut.

But just as he was about to invoke his weapon, a strong piercing sensation hit his brain. Emiya gasped, dropping the spear turned arrow which dissipated into dust.

[ _ **Execution not permitted**_ ]

"What?" he snapped, confusedly watching the unaware traveler come closer and closer to the fight.

.

.

.

.

[ _ **Execution not Permitted. Return to secondary duties, Follow and Observe Amber.**_ ]

.

.

.

.

Emiya clenched his fists. **"What?"**

* * *

 _You think we can retreat? This isn't looking so good._ Master voiced out her concerns the moment Amber backflipped, hitting the wet ground outside of the sewer exit. With a disgusted look on her face, she turned to glance at the side; her scorpion tailed opponent grazed her forearm with one of his blades. The slippery ground beneath her feet wasn't helping matters.

"Doubtful, Master." she grunted, her riposte using the buster sword earned the manic's grin to deep further. He chuckled as he backed away, lifting the offending blade which cut her and licked it.

"Oooh, so sweet." He shuddered in what Amber could only see as ecstasy. His feet cratered the ground beneath him, water rushing in like small whirlpools when he dashed forward. The resulting shockwave of their blades clashing rustled the nearby tall foliage at the edge of the city. The man hummed. "Mmm, maybe I can put in a good word for ya."

 _I don't believe changing between us will suffice. Regardless of whom is being used, our parameters would barely change. I could come in; Saber is still hibernating and so are the rest. I at best can overpower him with my skills with a sword._ The voice of Rider echoed in her mind while she defended herself. The water underneath her trembled, a delayed slash of her buster sword carried waves to block the man's view, allowing Lancer to put up his own opinion.

 _The ranks would shuffle around, but we'd still have E and D ranks across the board. Even if we can counter with experience or skill, we're still at a disadvantage._

 _Thou shan't choose me. Regretfully, I require a compatible weapon._

The image of Archer huffing appeared as quickly as it came. The distraction of voices were not helping whatsoever.

 _What? A Greek that isn't familiar with Pankration?_

 _Pankration, Palé, and many others of the Amazonian to name a few. I... was taught by Lady Artemis herself. While I may know the forms of our lands fighting styles, Rider. Thou hast take heed. An Archer is what I am.  
_

"You lot aren't helping." Amber snarled, narrowly blocking a kick.

 _Well, maybe if you stopped using Independent Action…. come to think of it, how do you all have that? Anyways, you aren't a frontline fighter, so stop that!_ Their master pouted in tandem with Rider for the first time. It surprised all of the egos, but earned a few amused huffs and grunts. The image of Lancer patting on her back did much to show some of their approval.

"...Tsk…. Fine." Without need for any verbal command, Amber blinked twice to greet an incoming stab of the scorpion tail. She nudged her sword while using the ground as a brace to block the attack.

"I mean, now that I look at yah." Amber pursed her lips when the man licked his own. The guy certainly looked like he was having a great time. He finished his thoughts to her just as she pushed him out of the way. "You're pretty good looking."

 _Oh gross_. Amber thought she was about to hurl. Archer and Assassin weren't helping as they equally had a look of murder on their faces. This guy was a psycho, making a move on her when he was trying to kill her. _Brothers, maybe Archer was right. Lancer's E ranked luck was a curse!_

 _Oooh master, looks like we got a problem on our hands._

 _The sight of a man gaining obsession. His face does not have a good look._

Rider had to just nod to himself. Archer on the other hand…. Was beyond murderous. _The same eyes as those wishing to best me in speed. Murder him!_

 _I sense a story~  
_

Amber sighed. The egos… if that was what they were, were confusing. They tried to keep everything clean in her head, but everything smashed into her brain hard enough that she thought she was gonna live with a constant headache. Readying herself with a shaky breath, Amber asked. "Our deaths. Why aside from your…. Personal tastes would you want us dead?"

For a moment there was silence. Both stop trading attacks long enough that Amber jumped back, far away at the edge of the forest behind her. The thought occurred to her that she could just retreat into the ever denser forest, but something stopped her. A nagging pulse in her mind that didn't belong to any of the egos that she communicated with.

Was there another that was hidden?

The mechanical clicks of the man's wrist blades folded into each other, sealing them into its inactive form. He raised a brow with a confused expression, water rippling as he tapped his foot. She shook her head, maybe the man would enlighten them of a few things.

"What? You don't know?" the man's growing expression of doubt turned into a full blown laughter. She watched as the man clutch his sides as he shook his shoulders. "Wooow. It's like none of you Maidens got the memo, did you?"

"Maiden?" Amber repeated confusedly, and the man laughed even harder at her response. She was growing angry at his amusement at her expense.

"Cinder failed ta drain all of your powers, so I…" the man pointed to himself a few times before he continued. "Am gonna kill ya to clean this all up."

"You can try." Amber declared, defiantly swinging the sword up to hide a spike of fear.

"You do have your powers right? Hehehe~ I mean, you haven't tried since I watched you." he pointed out with a chuckle, licking his lips once more.

 _Powers? I wonder…_

 _What do you mean Rider?_

 _I think it may have something to do with your essence, Young Master. We'll speak later._

"The little escape outta yer safe haven made you a big red target, girl." he explained with a flourish of reactivating his weapons again. Barrels popped out and a shift of hinges opened and closed, dropping rectangular boxes into the water logged ground. "Shoulda stayed with those cowards."

"That man from before. The drunk. Was he trying to help?" she said softly to herself, feeling doubt. It was quickly kicked out of the way by the many other egos in her mind.

 _Matters not. Master is a so called Chaste one. Leaving us alone unguarded and certainly with no support in healing us dost not show their ability as an 'ally'. The ones by the schools canst be after us as well._

 _Do not regret your actions, Master. No one knows everything.  
_

"Then again, I wouldn't have had the _pleasure_ of meeting you for the first time." the man said with a lopsided smile. A switch was flipped, and Amber felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Bullets smashed into the bark of the tree behind her when she dodged, moving her blade to cover herself as she ran. The ricochet from the man's weapon lodged itself at unsuspecting bushes, tree branches, and surrounding city debris.

Amber was disgusted. The guy was practically hitting on her! Sure, she knew she didn't have much luck at home, and being on the road was killer to a possible romantic life, but this guy?! She couldn't believe that the first man that she caught attention was a serial hitman! Assassin could only shrug helplessly in the background. "Ugh, yeah."

 _Well, she is chaste. That's fer sure._ In an attempt to add some levity to the situation, Lancer made a joke. It earned a heated glare, Amber really hoped her expression could be seen or felt by the ego. The girl mocked to herself. _Yeah, she never got so much as to hold hands with another boy.  
_  
The image of Archer nodding approvingly at the forefront of her mind only made Amber angrier. The ego quickly explained herself, _I am not mocking thee. Tis admirable. Thy could be chaste for the rest of your life.  
_  
Before she could respond, Amber blocked a heavy overhead swing. The man smirked. "You're my 'first' by the way."

She gritted her teeth and pushed the man's weight off her blade. With a spin, she used the weight of her blade to smash him on the floor. There was a sizable dent on the ground as water splashed out, likened to someone making a cannonball jump in a pool. Sadly, the man used his wrist weapons to block her. _Not helping!  
_  
"You disgust us, we'll kill you." she snapped, sidestepping the man's scorpion tail and jerked back with the weapon in her hands.

Baring his teeth in a wide grin, he laughed once more. "Come on babe. I've been dying to paint the town red!"

 _Uuuu_

The sudden new addition to her mind surprised her. It was… lonely, the ego's voice was slow, restrained yet struggling to communicate, and definitely female. "Who's that?"

 _Berserker's awake_ , Lancer explained quickly. It gave Amber the time to keep focusing on the creep trying to kill them.

When she swung wide, the psycho pushed into her comfort zone. A few slashes with his blades earned a few more marks on her body, shallow wounds that would only grow worse. But that was where an imaginary light bulb started to shine like the sun; the image of Rider putting his fist on top of the palm of his other hand appeared. He had an idea, and everyone quickly found out.

 _Of course! Mad Enhancement!_

 _Even if our parameters barely hit D, Berserker can force it up!  
_

Amber felt bad to call up on the ego that just woke from whatever she was experiencing, but maybe the ego would forgive her. At the very least, she apologized beforehand. "Sorry, Berserker! Things are a little hectic right now but. Can you help us out?"

 _U, u, u_ , the ego nodded in a simple gesture. Her ability to communicate with words might not be good at the moment, and Amber hoped it might change in the future. She remembered the words of the psycho about her powers; maybe she could use that as well.

With great effort, Amber tried to pull from her usual place when she wasn't injured, back when she fought that woman she now learned was named Cinder. A deep chaotic pit of swirling energy was yanked up, the power of nature itself. If she could take a guess, pain was the first thing that she felt. It was like pushing a torrent of thick sludge through something the size of a broken straw. At least that was what it felt until the straw slowly fixed itself, changing forms on its own, turning into something entirely different.

Many egos jumped in surprise, exclaiming _Magic Core!  
_  
 _Ahh, Damaged but yeah. Our Master's a box of surprises._

 _No Lancer, I think it's something else._

 _No way. She can't be-  
_

Amber shook her head, ignoring their words.

"How about that?! You do have some Maiden in you!" she barely recognized the man's words as he jumped away.

She couldn't feel her eyes glowing to show the sign of her powers, but she knew it was there. The winds grew in strength after each second, snapping tree branches like little twigs and creating waves in the water below her. The earth trembled around her as buildings collapsed under the minor earthquake, while the water drew back into a circle a body's length away from her feet, forming a whirlpool with her as the focal point.

.

.

.

.

"[ **Synchronize; Berserker** ]"

.

.

.

.

Assassin faded away to make room for the new ego to take root. Her left eye turned into the colors of blue and green, with a shattered line dividing the two on each side. Her hair grew slightly longer, moving inwards to cover her upper face with a gap stopping at her nose. The strains of grey and stark white changed into a pink, deepening into a vibrant blood red shade at the ends.

" _Grrrrrr_ " Berserker's mindset influenced her enough to growl together with the ego. She grasped the sword taken from the huntsmen with both her hands, and lifted it above her head. A thunderous sound and a flash of light sparked off another building a few hundred feet away, before a second landed on her makeshift lightning rod. The energy gathered at her weapon, traveling to the the tip of her toes and up to the crown of her head.

The raw force of Lightning invigorated her.

The ground quaked at her newly found agility, and she roared to smash her buster sword at the man, " _ **RAHHHH**_ "

* * *

Emiya whistled at the girl's tenacity. Whatever she did gave her (from what he calculated) around C ranks in Strength and Agility. A frown quickly grew under his face; he'd have to try and slow her down then. The Scorpion wasn't supposed to die.

"Maybe I don't have to do anything after all." he hummed. Amber's opponent was smart; He used the environment to his advantage. The girl ended up smashing more of the city structure instead of the man himself.

Another whistle that showed off his impressed expression appeared, watching the girl call forth a blade of water with each swing of her sword. The water quickly cooled to below freezing and formed into spikes, catching the man by an arm. Rocky spears grew every time the Scorpion stopped to catch a breath and the girl used wind gales to push the opponent into walls.

"Wet behind the ears, but she's impressive, **-**." Emiya said to himself, fully knowing he couldn't speak the name. The battle went on for another hour with Amber continuously missing the target, causing wanton destruction around her. It was as if both an earthquake and a typhoon met the city outskirts.

Eventually, things went as he thought they would. Amber slowly lost the energy to keep control over the elements. Her attacks weakened in both scope and scale. Her movements turned sluggish, and the energy to hold her weapon as a toothpick weighed her down like lead. The atmosphere calmed as if nothing happened in the first place. Nevertheless, he frowned. "Broken as it is, a **Marble Phantasm** is no laughing matter."

He huffed. This game was going for a long time already; six thousand years of careful planning since that Ozpin boy did the ritual. He never thought **The World** would ever let someone get that close. He had to wonder if it was by design… or an accident.

He had to assume the latter, if the years leading everyone to this day told him anything. After Ozpin's little stunt, they drew themselves back the moment the first four Maiden girls were 'born.' The tense relationship between Gaia and Alaya on this world was fragile. It was a miracle the Maidens didn't immediately cease to exist.

Emiya shook his thoughts away. The past of this version of Earth was long gone, now wasn't the time to reminisce. His attention went back to the fight below; the Scorpion bid his time until Amber was vulnerable. She screamed when the man stabbed her in between the ribs.

[ _ **Do not Interfere**_ ]

"I know, I know." he responded back lazily. Amber was going to be tortured, the same way one of her servants did to the bandits before. He had to cross his arms. What was gonna happen? And why did they need him to babysit?

He widened his eyes at the appearance of a small dagger flying between the weakening Amber and the Scorpion. A faint sparkle of light and the feeling of Mana tugged him.

"Gradation Air!" he gasped just as the dagger exploded into white light in front of the Scorpion.

A simple blade, yet not. It was something along the lines of a flash bang fused to a stun grenade in magecraft form. The weapon was quickly added to his ever growing armory as Emiya watched the image of the same man he was ordered to not kill take Amber in his arms and spring away. The Scorpion was blinded, stunned, hurt in his ears, and once he got his bearings, he screamed in anger. More of the surrounding area was about to be destroyed in a little temper tantrum, but he no longer paid attention.

 **[Mission Complete]**

The sudden command and a tingling sensation made him shout, "What!?"

As he expected, there was no response. The only thing changed was his legs started to dissolve into ethereal dust to be sent away to another place, another time. In front of him another Counter Guardian slowly materialized into existence. The being's identity was shrouded from him, and that could only mean one thing.

"No, Wait. I'm being **replaced**?!"

He narrowed his eyes. So that was what they were aiming for. That's why he was being sent away, and he wasn't given the permission to know.

.

.

.

.

 ** _Magi_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

* * *

In her broken sense of self, Amber felt something warm cover her up, wrapping her legs in a bundle of soft fur or cloth. The cool air touched her face as ruffling sounds reached her ears. A firm pressure held her by her back and she struggled to move, supporting rather than forceful.

She tried her best to reach up with a free arm, but the jostling of something underneath her jerked the girl back into place. The sounds of footsteps echoed as they hit grass and bushes, intermingled with her heavy breaths. She tried again, groaning just like Berserker all the way. "Uuu-gh"

"Hey, Just another half-mile alright?"

 _That voice._

….Rider?

 _It's a bit different but I recognize that voice. Master, can you open your eyes?_

Everything hurt and she felt exhausted, but the trickling of blood from her wounds lessened. That was enough for her to push though. Her eyes slowly opened to reveal a curtain of her hair. The small gap between her nose was the only window to glimpse at her would be savior.

 _Uuu-_

 _Berserker, what is it?_

 _I can't believe it._

...Ri….der?

 _They look so alike. Just add a few more years…._

 _A story from the Grail War I wager?_

 _Yes Lancer…. Yes it is. I'm pleasantly surprised.  
_

With support from Berserker, Amber's mouth tried to open, lips cracked and chapped from the lack of moisture. She raised her hand up to try and touch the man's face, but it only gripped at his green and gold embroidered tie. But it was what she said before her vision faded to blackness that earned a stupefied look on the man's face. " _ **Wa….ver**_ _?_ "


	6. Broken Mirror

**Bit early, but I think since it's very close to New Years, some of you might just ignore FF and go party or enjoy time with friends. So I will post this now. Happy New Years in advance**!

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Broken Mirror to the Soul**

Smell was what Amber noticed first; The sweet odor of metal fused to a murky stench of wet concrete and sweat turned into a thick cloud of bile. It was a powerful effect on her stabilizing mind and she reached up to her mouth, not realizing until it was too late that a red sticky substance emitted a smacking sound to her ears. Her nose was clogged and she finally realized her hand was stained with thick red ichor. Blood.

She just killed a Huntsmen. And not only that, she used him for a _shower_.

It wasn't self defense, or because he was a bad man. Her victim wasn't an attacker going after her, and this wasn't even an accident where she attacked him by mistake. No, he was weakened, crippled on the ground, begging for her to let him go.

And she just killed him. A slash of her claws and everything just fell out, covering her clothes.

It wasn't until she realized that the blood was never there did her mind start to clear. With a flex of her fingers, the blood simply faded away into oblivion and instead her vision beheld her usual tanned skin pocketed with white scars.

"Replaying the events from earlier?"

She lifted her head up at the direction of the voice. Her vision met with the sight of a boy in his late teens, with bronze eyes and grey hair that looked a bit wavy asd the upper left side of his face was obscured by large bangs. His body was covered from the neck down with grey long sleeves and slacks under a layer of black armor. A length of purple cloth was wrapped around the hip armor that reached down to his ankles which was followed by a short mantle over his shoulders.

A breeze ushered in a flurry of dead and darkened leaves between her and the man, and she turned her head to check her surroundings; It was a clearing going as far as a few dozen meters with a single cliff face blocking one of the edges. Dry, burnt grass blackened the entirety of the dirt, and a smoking burning scent lingered in the air. Barren trees encompassed the stretch of open area, not a single one healthy with life or fruits and the sky was dark, filled with clouds swirling together into a growing tornado that threatened rain at any moment.

The sounds of shuffling metal boots grabbed her attention; the man turned to the side to peek at what was behind him. The only thing untainted or even intact was a large body of water, an opening she figured could have been where a waterfall met when the pond was dry, leaving nothing to land on the everclear and undisturbed pool.

The man gave her a wave of his hand and asked, "You alright young miss?"

"I…" Amber struggled, features wrinkled in uncertainty. "I don't know."

"You need not answer right away." the man smiled reassuringly. With a proffered hand, Amber was quickly helped up before he continued back on topic. "It can appear dreamlike to most. To know that you didn't kill that Huntsman, but question if you actually did. Twas your body, if not your mind that did the deed."

"He wasn't-"

The man raised a hand to stop her, a frown appearing on his face. Her next words were easily predicted. "My Lady, I must pose a question; How do you know?"

That earned her silence. She took a look around again, thinking about the matter. The first thought on her mind was never about doubting the Huntsman. They had always been first responders against threats against villages and people; Whether it be criminals or Grimm, they'd drop in to stop it all and leave before anyone noticed a thing. It never occurred to her that one of the very same group who saved people from the enemies of humanity could work with the same scum that worsened situations.

There were possibilities: the first was this huntsman could have been an associate of the bandits. A deal gone wrong, a trader of information or items, any number of options. Being traditionally nomads and less on the 'up and up' than farmers or the like, there was a lot to be bargained. Alternatively, he could've been be a deserter. While rare to work alone, Huntsmen normally stuck to a partner or the teams they trained with for most of their lives. Although the opposite could be true; He could've been a survivor of a large ambush, or just a regular wanderer that was at the wrong place and time.

Amber shook her head, knowing there was no point in running around in circles. It wasn't until she remembered she was in an unknown place, next to a stranger. And the voices were silent…

"Where am I? Who are you?" she finally asked, leveling a wary look upon the stranger

The man put on a placating smile and bowed with his right hand on his breastplate. "Apologies, my Lady. I am Galahad, Servant of the Shield. Call me Shielder if you would like. I had asked the others to allow me to ease you in."

Galahad motioned for her to follow, and both walked closer to the large body of water. As if on command, leaves and water from the surrounding area flew together, slowing forming itself into a dark grey metal circle, slightly rising in the center like a dome. The circle was two toned, one with it's edges in a very dark charcoal color, which outlined the larger grey tint that looked like a saw, or could have depicted the image of the sun. Twelve black dots surrounded the center ring between the focal point and the edge, situated in perfect spots between each other.

"Please, sit." Galahad said, and a moment later a chair appeared at what felt like was the 'head' of the table, facing the lake.

She scrutinized the chair for a moment, wondering if it could even handle her meager weight. Rotted and splintered dark oak shared almost the same damage to the muddied up fur lining, circling around the spots where one would sit. The backrest held a jagged cut from the center where her shoulders would be, and the arm rests held onto the frame by a mere sliver of a supporting brace.

Amber hesitated for a moment, until she realized Galahad wasn't going to do anything unless she complied. The wood creaked and waned as her bottom hit the chair. Underneath her the legs wobbled, but was level to the ground below her. Contrary to her initial assessment, her shoulders weren't being dug in by the jagged edges; she felt fairly comfortable, oddly enough.

With a wave of a hand, twelve more chairs of varying sizes appeared around the table she sat at, each just as malformed and damaged as her own. Galahad took a seat opposite of hers, signifying for... something.

"I hope most will be explained as we go along. The others will appear shortly, even those who have yet to waken." he said, a kind smile on his face to ease her worries. It didn't take long for the first to appear.

"Hehe, Not bad when you get a look from the outside in." A voice that Amber instantly recognized appeared out of thin air, jostling the woman from her seat. She felt a presence behind her, discovering the one she called Lancer had a hand on a nearby chair. He grinned a toothy smile, red eyes gleaming. "Especially when things got more stable."

This was the first time she got a good look at him, or should she say, a good look at every voice she'd been hearing from before. Lancer was a blue haired man, his mop of messy hair set in a rattail with a few bangs exposed on his forehead with red eyes that looked a bit animalistic. He wore full body tights with no visible armor. Silver earrings (broken in several spots) sparkled in the light as they jangled.

Lancer strolled over to the foremost right hand side of the table and took a seat. The spear he held in one hand was perched by his chair. The weapon glowed in an angry red when he let go, branches forming around the shaft while thorns grew out into the tips, the foliage blackened by fire.

He smirked at her unsettled gaze. "Yo. I think this is the first time we meet, face to face. Nice to meet ya."

She tilted her head at him, not mentioning his name. Lancer was a title, she understood that much. Not much later a harrumph touched her ears, turning her attention to the seat beside his. It was a woman with two faunus traits; A pair of cat ears and a lion's tail? No, that wasn't right. Both traits were lion-like. Her flowing blonde hair was long yet unkempt while the front strands naturally progressed to a beautiful emerald. It complimented her green dress (despite being torn in several places) and cold, sharp eyes holding the same shade.

The woman who looked like a noble walked to her direct right and placed herself into the seat beside her. She acted just like an aristocrat in her posture, with a leg crossed and both hands on her thighs. A pitch black bow, inlaid with gold markings, ash and lightning scorches covered the weapon leaned against the table beside her chair.

Archer nodded with a curt greeting. "Best regards Master."

" _Gyahahaha_!" the overwhelming presence of an arm bigger than she was gripped her shoulders. A man with flaming, wild red hair encompassed her vision, grinning joyfully at her. She grunted from strain as the man lifted up her and the chair alike to spin around, laughing to his heart's content.

"You've done well to have me now at your side. Iskandar, King of Conquerors, is here to carve out your path forward!" 'Iskandar' bellowed, the air itself seeming to vibrate as he spoke. The man held a presence, an unseen force around him; it was like he affected the world just by existing. Iskandar grinned and raised a fist up, fortunately putting her down. "Truly, what we've experienced is grand. No, I would call it fate! To know young Waver's bloodline still lives fills my heart with joy!"

Iskandar was _big_. A gigantic man, brimming with vast muscles that Amber figured could kill an Alpha Ursa with his bare hands… with one of them tied behind his back! He wore a combination of dark leather armor lined in bronze, possessing cuffs and greaves with white furred fringes which left his arms and thighs unprotected. She half expected him to wear a billowing red mantle to complete the image of a 'larger than life' man. That was until she realized his attire were just like the other two; Leather ripped and blackened, bronze cracked, and hanging off his hip was a sword that would be a two-hander to anyone else was dirtied in soot and mud.

A shockwave rippled as he plopped down on his own chair, right next to Lancer's left, closer to her. It looked more like a stool with a backrest, or a war throne if Amber had to think on it. He laughed, "But enough about that for now. Master, good work on making it this far. Formidable reflexes, clear and active thought under pressure and an almost instinctual understanding of combat abilities made our survival possible."

She fidgeted uncomfortably at his praise. It felt more like she was the one being carried instead of the other way around. Just as she was about to respond, the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight. A woman walked past her seat, her face filled with scorn or derision to mar the beautiful white hair; Amber figured the shade could only come to the Schnee family. Yet she certainly didn't look like a Schnee.

Golden eyes pierced through her snow white hair, the shoulder length strands almost the same shade as her pale skin. Black iron (or possibly darkened silver horns) jutted out from the top of her head, like a crown. The protrusion was bloodied, and busted in two. Nevertheless the woman looked like a supermodel, especially clad in the red dress she wore. Much like Archer, the woman sat down like a born noblewoman, except with an arm crossed under her breasts and the other held upwards to hover in front of her mouth.

"As you've guessed, Master." The woman smirked, baring her teeth like a feral beast. "Assassin, at your service. Call me by Carmilla." There was a look of regret on her face as she added, "So sad we had to cut our time short."

A hand smacked on the table, Carmilla's long azure nails sparked as she clawed into a fist.

"But it was best to get ourselves away from that vulgar neanderthal. It is for pleasure, yes." Carmilla nodded, licking her lips. "But why shouldn't a Vampire play with her food?"

"Vampire?!" Amber jumped in her seat until she realized that was practically what they just did earlier. There were stories of Vampires sure, same with Werewolves, Zombies and the like. It was a common premise in horror movies. But to see a vampire in real life- as close as life as it can get?

Lancer shrugged nonchalantly while Iskandar sighed at her knee jerk reaction. Archer tapped the surface of the table with a nail. "If thou hast finished, Master. There are more to heed the call."

"More?" she went, frowning in worry. There was a massive gulf between the ones present right now; just how varied could the others be?

Lancer smirked, "Yah. It's quite a bit master. Lot of them are unresponsive but we can get them at the table."

"We will not be able to see them in their physical forms, and they cannot respond to us. It's as if they are in deep slumber, but you will know of their classes." Galahad was kind enough to inform her. A smile appeared on her face to reassure her unspoken concerns.

She raised a brow with a tilt of her head. "Classes?"

"We can get to that later, Master. First you must greet the others like a Master should!" Iskandar said with a grin.

Amber nodded to the gigantic man with a bit of hesitance, and just as she finished, the next and most recent one she 'used' appeared with a cute little grunt. She figured it out pretty easily, this girl's actions fit all the check marks of what happened earlier.

"Berserker." The girl nodded to her with a grunt.

She looked remarkably pretty despite the title, but with a bit odd choice of clothing. It was a white dress, almost as if it was-no, it was a bridal gown. A fluffy, frilly, multi ribboned bridal gown, like something straight out of a fashion magazine. She even had a dark silken veil that was on the back of her head!

Amber stared in shock. Berserker paid her no mind, even with the long hair separated by a golden horn like a unicorn's. She even had a pair of microphones(?) attached to where her ears were supposed to be. The sheer incongruity caught her off guard.

Amber shook those thoughts away while Berserker took a seat to her direct left, the thud of a giant mace which hit the ground ruffling some grass and leaves, standing erect in the ground. The strange girl grunted with a nod. " _Uuun_ "

The 'Master' of this apparent madhouse sighed. "Who's next?"

Iskandar gave a rough laugh. "Master, the next few are a bit odd."

"Not by deposition either Master. This lot have unusual classes, or they are irregular." Archer added simply. Her ears twitched, eyes narrowed to one of the others to add in to the conversation.

"Ahhh. You got two Casters and Sabers, Master. Not ta mention bout the others, and the… unknown." Lancer agreed with her, just as Berserker from the side growled like an animal, resulting in her to turn to see the commotion.

"Ohehehe, talking about me behind my back are you?"

The next to appear was a man that looked like a…. Clown? Colorful blue, purple, and red tights with an open vest and bow tie were complimented with a purple furry cape, looking like a pair of wings. His two crooked horns poked through a abundantly colorful wide brimmed hat. His face looked pale, like he had too much makeup on, which simply popped against his pinkish mop of hair. The jester laughed, taking a seat on her far left across from Iskandar. "Oooooh~ Master! You hit the _jackpot_!"

"Mephistopheles is here, the devil himself is called upon as a Caster~" Caster proclaimed with a theatrical bow, which earned Archer's glare from the side.

"Lies, creature! Demon you are not. If it were so, your mere presence would force us to act!" he snapped, smashing a fist on the table to make it rattle.

Said Caster raised his hands, shivering in mock fear. "Oooh, oooh~ Hostile aren't you? I'm a pacifist you know?"

His impressions earned a couple frowns from the others. It wasn't long before Galahad coughed to gain everyone's attention. The rest of the chairs around the table trembled as the air swirled into miniature tornados. Amber searched around to check the others' responses, noting they were unfazed. Iskandar laughed a bit with Lancer while both Archer and Berserker waited stoically for the wind to die down.

It was odd that nothing affected Amber; in fact, the only thing to indicate the changes to her surroundings were the visible distortions in the air, and the sounds from the chairs. Nothing touched her or obscured her vision. A topic to ask about later, she guessed.

If nothing- Wait, wasn't she attacked and knocked out earlier? Just as Amber raised from her seat, a hand grasped her shoulder. Archer gently, but firmly pushed her back down and raised a finger to her lips.

Five whirlwinds died out after a few moments. The air itself changed in color, as if someone emitted their Auras out for all to see; Something commonly seen when a child would first unlock their Aura. The issue was that these five all had the same shade.

Amber had a good outline of the figures, however a black shadow covered their forms as if they were hidden in the dark. A blazing purple fire encompassed the beings, yet the air held neither heat nor smell. Two men and three women, if the outlines of curves and broad shoulders were true. Their weapons, or rather the weapons of the men looked like swords, one broad, and the other thin. If the 'classes' of the others were right, these two would have to be the Sabers.

Meanwhile the women were voluptuous. One was a faunus like Archer; two traits of pointy ears and a fluffy tail shadowed by violet winds, while the second was a human and... that was all. Upon closer observation on the last one however, it didn't look human at all. 'Something' tangled itself around the chair as it lingered far back in the ground, a few feet away ending in a thick tip. The ends of the last woman's hair(based on the curves on a 'back') swerved and twisted as if they were alive. Blurry wisps of shadow obscured her sight. Nothing else could be gleaned after staring at the unmoving, unresponsive forms.

"And these are the others. As you've noticed, we can barely tell their forms in the shadows encompassing them. They're still asleep as far as I know." Galahad informed her just as she turned back to him. The man shook his head with a sad look on his face. "They used up much of their power, Master."

Lancer quipped after Rider, "We all did really. They just gave more."

"If you said it's weird to have two of… Casters and Sabers you said? Why do I do then?" Amber waved to get their attention, pointing at the shadowy figures stationary at their chairs.

Just as she asked, images, or to Amber's mind, emblems, like the kind huntsmen and huntresses sported, appeared in a gold light. They were signs, landing in front of each being's spot; A shield in front of Galahad, followed by a spear, horse, bow and arrow, and so on. The translucent figures had ones for themselves, but they were blocked by claw marks. Amber's own emblem had the picture of a set feathers broken up into many pieces. She touched the sign, her fingers plying back and forth over the smooth markings, as if it were ink painted on the table's surface.

"For Saber, we suspect it has to do with their origins as heroic spirits." Galahad started to explain, nodding at the spearman a few seat away. "But first we need to explain to you what we are. Lancer?"

"Yeah, yeah." Lancer waved dismissively. "We're what you'd think as… dead people."

Amber felt a lump in her throat. "Dead?"

"Legendary souls. You know how all your stories about heroes or villains, people that did a lot of famous things in their life were recorded down in history? Those folk that are extra special for doing some deed that engraved their names in lore are put into the 'hall of fame' after they die called the Throne of Heroes." Lancer clarified, just as a fist from Rider banged the table to add his input.

"That's what we are. Some heroes are children of gods, others are common people that did a great service to humanity, and are interwoven with the ideals and dreams of the people. I am Iskandar! King of Conquerors." he bolted out of his chair to pump a fist into the air, ignoring the looks from the others until he sat back down. "You can guess what I did back in my life. I created a kingdom and united the people under me into a single banner."

Lancer fiddled with his hair, rolling his eyes at Iskandar's antics. "From your memories, the land which Rider came from most likely relates of Vacuo. A land of deserts, mountains, and greenery. I'm as you guessed earlier, from a place kinda like Vale. Or maybe Vale's the future home of Ireland and the rest of English Isles, not sure really. But those bandits earlier did use my language to say Ibar."

"Then you're all…" she started, and the souls nodded to her fading question.

Too many thoughts ran across her mind. First she was given a title of Maiden, attacked and got her powers stolen, and now she got a bunch of other souls, souls of dead people in her body, because they chose to save her? Fortunately Galahad banged a fist against the table softly to regain her attention. When she glanced at him, he smiled reassuringly.

"This leads to the predicament of Saber. It's most likely that Saber's legend has changed and was constantly re-interpreted throughout history, to the point of no longer being a singular being." All eyes landed on both Sabers' forms. "It's safe to believe that Saber was originally two separate people. Yet his legend has become muddied with another hero, to the point of historians believing both heroes are one and the same." he explained, his smile dropping. "Caster though…"

Caster started to look offended at Archer's remark, a hand over his heart. That was until he smiled, jokingly. " _Ehehehe_ ~ Hahahaha, don't ask me!"

"Maybe the old Wizard handed you an extra card for the hell of it?" Lancer shrugged.

Galahad chuckled. "Per his amusement? I feel as if it was Merlin resorting to his shenanigans again."

"Nay, I believe it may be for compatibility. Or it relates to the two 'others' in our company." Archer shook her head.

Iskandar responded to her with a contemplative look. "Master, the last two have no discernible class. It's based on all our opinions that this pair were not part of the deck of cards handed to you."

"You're saying…" Amber trailed off uncertainty.

This was the first time Carmilla spoke, and her voice grabbed everyone's attention quickly. Her hand clenched before looking at the others slowly. "Another, unseen force has given you an extra push."

"We shan't deny the unique nature of master as well." Archer agreed with a nod.

Amber looked at each person frantically, what were they talking about? It was her body, and she needed to know! She shook her fist, pouting slightly. "What? What kind of uniqueness?"

"Master, this is your soul. We are talking feeling, moving, acting in the space of your soul. Even when alive I don't have history with this kind of encounter. What about you others?" Galahad questioned with his arms spread out to the surrounding area. The grass, the pond, the trees, even the sky… this was her soul? She could only hear the others' voices as she stared up into the sky; a black scar, a hole in the center of the horizon was marred as clouds swirled into a vortex. This damaged landscape was her soul?

"No."

"Kinda…. But it was back in physical form." Archer tch'd, Amber faintly catching a mumble from under his breath. "Damn faker."

" _Eheheheh!~_ "

" _Uuun._ "

"Nay, however…" Archer's hesitance made her to look back at the faunus soul.

"Archer?" she directed pointedly.

"I have an inkling, unsound as they may be." Archer said with a shake of her head, the woman gestured to the others with a firm look. "But we must keep this for another time when more information is available to ours. For now, I suggest we move on."

Galahad nodded. "Agreed. Master, what do you want to do with our savior?"

 _Savior? Ahh, that's right_ , she thought. Some guy jumped in at the last minute when they were fighting that psychopath. If memory served, the man carried her away from Mountain Glenn. Just as she was racking her brain, a fist landed on the table, jolting her enough to flinch.

"I suggest we keep him! Waver had been a help and a loyal retainer during my stay in the living world many years ago. His bloodline still lives, and if my eyes don't deceive me, the ancestral line still holds my gift to him. The mantle from when I was alive." Rider was the first to pipe in; he looked enthusiastic with a large grin on his face, eyes blazing.

Lancer leaned forward, interest peaked. "What? This Waver guy was a master?"

"Hahahaha, yes! He summoned me to battle long ago, we lost in the end but it was a most enjoyable time!" The massive man responded jolly and eagerly, recounting the events for the others to hear. "Brave when he needed to be, but a coward overall. Intelligent and the arrogance came with it despite his young age, but he grew during my time with him."

"If only they all did." Lancer muttered to himself.

Iskander's smile noticeably dropped when he glanced at Amber. "Master, I know he would be a fine addition to our group. His ancestor pledged his loyalty to me, and as his king and friend… He may prove helpful in our predicament."

Archer was quick to counter the man's thoughts. "Do not forget. Dost must remember; he is not the ancestor you speak of. Not to mention he's a Magi."

 _Were Magi dangerous?_ Amber wondered. The kind she was familiar with came from stories; they were guides, and maybe misunderstood enemies. But never malicious.

Lancer seemed to read her mind and smirked at the girl. "Ahhh~ Magi around the era when I was summoned weren't that trustworthy. A few sure, but they were pretty shifty."

"They've been like that since our times when we were alive, Lancer." Galahad refuted, not doubt using his own experience of 'Magi' as a base.

The spearman raised his hands and rubbed the back of his neck, "I get it. He saved us and if we're right, he also healed us during our time being knocked out. But it's not for us to decide."

They all looked at her, waiting for her decision. She was out of her comfort zone; she never had any experience leading people, and now she had what? Seven others waiting for her to tell them what to do with more on the way.

Berserker nodded beside her, and just as she was about to speak, Assassin interrupted. "My, my. I'll just have to eat him if the time comes."

Amber shivered at the sudden memory of killing those bandits. Not just killing, _blood sucking_. If Assassin was a Vampire, they were draining those men of blood to heal themselves. The sudden shift of pressure and the sound of a whip smacking against the air lead her to see Iskandar frown at the woman, pointing at her.

"Assassin, do not touch a hair on his head." he commanded sharply, so unlike his jovial self a moment ago. "The man is part of Waver's line. It would be a disgrace of his king to let him perish. At best, we can just leave." The giant man turned to her next. "Master, your thoughts?"

Amber tried her best to not fidget under their gazes. On one hand, the guy sounded okay from Iskandar's description. He did save her after all. On the other, they didn't really know this man as opposed to Magi being nothing but folktales for countless years.

"I don't really get it, but... If the guy helped out, he deserves a chance?" Amber wondered if they would disapprove. To her surprise, everyone nodded in agreement. And as if the tension never appeared in the first place, Iskandar smiled while Assassin hid a laugh under her hand.

Galahad spoke after a few minutes of peace. "If there's nothing else, you should wake Master. Time runs differently here compared to the waking world, and you were asleep for the most of it."

"Heh, Just leave it to us if trouble starts. I'm itching for a fight." Lancer crossed his hands in front of him, smirking dangerously.

"Stick with Berserker for now. It would be difficult to explain our situation if any of us decide to join with the body." Galahad suggested, pointing towards their damaged attire. "Keep our status hidden. We're still weak since your wakening."

* * *

The faint crackling followed by the warmth of a fire slowly drew her back to old memories, the sense of familiarity of her being on the road. The warm light of the sun wasn't shining on her, and the cold wind had her curling up sightly into the fluffy blanket strewn all around her.

Wait, blanket?

In a flash Amber sprung up with her clothes ruffled, eyes blazing to fight against the sudden light from the fire. The wind made her reflexively shiver, and she wrapped a stretch of the blanket around to cover herself.

 _If it isn't my mantle! And it's changed over the years.  
_  
Rider's thoughts had her look down, through the long hair due to the effect of 'fusing' with Berserker. Lancer hummed in appreciation. _Mystic Code, where runes are interwoven to the fabric, magnificent. I was never good but I can tell; He knows his stuff._

She didn't know what that meant, but if the soul meant beautiful, she'd agree wholeheartedly. Luxurious red cloth embroidered with gold and silver was all around her as if she was wrapped in the heart of an inferno rather than the fire in front of her. Black and charcoal fur lined the edges, faintly tickling her face from the grand strands to the tip of her toes oozed an imposing regal figure if she were standing. She ran a hand along the thick mantle, fully appreciating the covering now that she knew what it was.

Silk, specifically tafta. Interwoven silk threads as the base, velvet woven into lampas with a layer of coated satin. To counter the weather's effects, she felt a wool layer underneath for warmth joining high end fur with a few patches of downy feathers for lining.

 _Heavy, durable, and a statement. Hand sewn and embroidered, Oh I miss this feeling.  
_  
 _Assassin sure has expensive tastes,_ Amber thought. A yard of any single one of the listing materials alone was probably worth hundreds of lien.

The soft clanging of wood to a pan had her glance up. Her eyes widened at the sight which greeted her vision.

 _Are you sure I can't eat him? We'll be healed and we can take whatever he has._ Assassin's words fell on deaf ears as the souls took a good look at their 'caretaker.' Iskandar whooped with a fist high into the sky.

The man somehow appeared tall sitting on a fallen log. He looked calm, until a smile grew on his face as he retracted a wooden spoon from a pan of bubbling soup. Black hair reaching to his chin was kept loose, shadowing a narrow jawline which bore a stark contrast to his green eyes.

 _As I expected, just what Waver would look if he grew a bit further…. But he does already look familiar to one of my other subordinates when I was alive._ The image of Iskandar ecstatically raising his arms above into the sky appeared in her mind. A look of profound understanding appeared on his face. _Wait….. Did Waver have an ancestor what followed me even before we met?! Hahahahaha! Fate truly smiles upon us! The bloodline took my dreams to heart!_

 _Not as frail as I thought, hearing that he was a Magus. But traveling does that to a man._

Lancer hummed. _Not much if he were in a fight though. Wonder how he took care of that assassin._

The mantle wasn't just the only thing that seemed expensive, the man's clothing was probably just as exuberant. For starters, he wore a suit! Not some cheap made stuff she saw in store windows in one of the bigger towns. But a real, hand tailored kind she only saw in Altesian movies; An ash royal ox button-up and green silk tie followed by a charcoal satin vest, all under a black wool coat.

 _Truly, it's hard to find a man that's isn't a pig with good tastes._ Assassin purred. _As much I would find it pleasurable to feast on his blood. I changed my mind. He's much more useful alive.  
_  
"Can you speak?" the man asked abruptly, before he gave her an apologetic look. He reached into a large travelers pack for a bottle and handed it to her. "Here, some water."

Amber downed about a third of the container in a couple seconds. In her parched state she was a bit too eager for the rush of cold water and it resulted in her coughing nervously.

"You've been asleep for seventy-two hours." the man informed, holding a small bowl. He scooped out a helping of the thick soup and gestured for her to take it.

The food smelled grand, her mouth watered at the creamy texture while her hands warmed through the bowl. A wince crossed the woman when her stomach grumbled ominously. Not taking heed in politeness, she ate with gusto; it was easy to go down, savory and filling. All the while, she took a good look at where she found herself.

The campsite was utilitarian yet well thought out. The campfire was at the center, while a few logs were set around it as resting spots. Wooded vegetation started to grow out beyond the fire's light, and the immediate surroundings were clean despite being shaded in a copse of trees. Said trees hid the site (and them) from any curious eyes.

To keep from making things awkward, she asked between sips from the bowl. "...Where?"

 _Oh_ , she hadn't realized it. Berserker naturally couldn't speak all that well, which was affecting her too. Amber hoped she'd get the hang of it shortly, if she were to stay with Berserker for the foreseeable future. Mentally, she shook her head at the other soul so to not blame her.

"A small enclave in the northern mountains, about half a day's ride from the village of Hollyhock. The last bullhead stop before you reach the kingdom's northernmost frontiers." he answered with a pointed finger, presumably north. The gap in the trees allowed her a view of rocky mountain walls and steep cliffs, yet she spied a sturdy and secured road snaking between clustered villages. "My original destination, at least until a sudden storm and a woman's screams brought me to the edges of Mountain Glenn."

"Saved…. Me?" she hated the feeling of madness enhancement. A great weight pressing against her chest, and a turbulent change of hot to cold in her heart made it difficult to speak. If the man felt off at her attitude, he didn't show it.

He chuckled good heartedly as he poked at the fire. "In a manner of speaking. You looked worse for wear, and Tyrian was about to deal you a final blow. Suffice to say, the man was too preoccupied in nothing else but you, a prime opportunity to daze him with a flash explosive appeared. I then grabbed you and ran."

"Tyrian?" Amber played with the name. She recognized it somewhere before, but where?

The man leaned forward to play with a dangling piece of metal that floated between the two. She looked up at the string, puzzled at the floating object until she traced it to a tied branch.

 _A pendulum, and a Mystic Code no less. Bet he's checking on a bounded field with that thing as a focal point._

 _There's small bell to check for wind drafts. Intelligent. That design… It bares the symbol of Asclepius!_

The faunus soul exclaimed in shock.

She tuned down everyone's thoughts to hear the man's explanation. Slowly but surely each soul drew some of their attention to the man, watching him place a small branch onto the fire. "Tyrian Callows is a wanted man in all the four kingdoms, for a lot of things including murder and trafficking. About forty eight thousand lien to his head last I saw his bounty."

She mulled over the new information. That… Tyrian was after her, and he knew just about everything a 'Maiden' was.

"I'd have to advise you to stay on the move. If Tyrian is targeting you for whatever reason, he won't stop. But, I'm getting ahead of myself." he chuckled to himself, stirring the fire. "I've been carrying you for days now and I haven't gotten your name." he told her with a small smile.

He turned to reach behind his seat, rummaging through a few items before lifting up a massive blade with pained grunts. Her bowl was exchanged for the oversized sword, the same weapon that Assassin took from Mountain Glenn.

"Ahh, and here. Your weapon. It was a struggle to haul this, but I have it intact. Hope you don't mind me sprucing it up a bit."

True to the man's words, the blade's steel looked slightly polished compared to before, but without a glaring shine. Blood and grime had been cleaned off while the hilt was wiped with a stretch of fabric. The souls in her mind looked over it twice before nodding in approval. Even to her inexperienced eye, she could tell the man didn't tamper with it. Both her and her weapon were carried to safety?

"I'm Amber…. Thank you." she struggled to get those words out, hoping he wouldn't mind. It seemed he didn't as he nodded slowly. The man scooped out a bowl for himself out of the pot and started to eat, but not before reaching back again to hand her a bundle of clothes.

"I apologize, but I didn't want to have you misconstrue the possibility that I did anything untoward while you were asleep. Here, some clothes. They might not be your size, but they're clean."

… _He's got a weird vocabulary_ , She noted. He spoke like an old member of Mantle before the Great War, before Atlas existed. Old fashioned, scholarly to her ears. If Amber could picture it, the man looked like he was plucked out from a library or something.

 _Oy oy, How many Mystic Codes does a Magus need? I only ever saw one, or at best two!_ Lancer exclaimed. She was a tad slower, but she started to realize what he was getting at. Woven onto the clothes he gave her were same markings she just recognized.

 _White cashmere sweater and black satin trousers. And this is what I can see._

 _Hehehehehe~ How generous of him. Oh, he's going to be easy prey.  
_

Amber shook her head at the souls either praising or insulting him. She didn't have much room to complain, so after sequestering herself behind a bush, she clad herself in the new outfit. Doing so gave the man time to eat his own portion. If she had to guess, he only had the one bowl, and she was hogging all of the food, leaving maybe one or two servings left.

"You don't think… I'd steal?"

He spoke clearly despite the thin barrier. "You were injured. If I had thought you were a thief or worse, I'd be dead by now. Don't you think?"

"Is that why…." she asked while putting on a pair of shoes.

"I 'saved' you? Hmm." the man hummed while some water sizzled out of sight. "In this world, in this place that we live our lives. I think a lot of our problems could be solved if we had a little bit more empathy."

Galahad nodded in approval, with the addition of Lancer and Rider. Assassin and Caster scoffed at the man, while Archer huffed with an ear twitching. She heard a soft clanging of pans and a towel ruffling before the man continued. "That, and it pays to have friends rather than enemies."

" _Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet._ "

Archer mulled at those words in her head. _How humble….. Yet naive.  
_  
"Or enemies." she added with a sudden prod from Assassin. The man chuckled good naturally.

"Or that." he agreed, though she could sense a flash of concern at the comment.

By the time she finished dressing, the man had polished off his meal and was already putting away his supplies. She moved to the opposite side of the fire pit to watch him, and with advice from the other souls, inspected everything the man carried; Water bottles, a large rucksack, books by the dozens held together by leather straps, and a second pendulum dangling under his right wrist. The man traveled light, with no tent or sleeping bag.

"My name is Alex by the way." he added once he packed his bag.

She tilted her head with a frown. "Not… a color."

"Ahh. Sorry, sorry. I consider my name a bit on the long side. Calling myself Alex is modernizing it a bit." he said with a hand over his chest, brushing nonexistent dust and crumbs away. A tick she assumed.

 _Wait… you mean…_ Rider's eyes widened, a sudden idea perked up in his own mind. The image of the man leaning forward came to the forefront of her brain, expectantly tracking the man.

"I'll explain. My family had an old friend through the ages. A pretty important figure, if our first head was given that mantle was any indication." he explained with a small wave in the air.

 _It… It can't be.  
_  
"I was named after both of them you see, so I've always been given the 'look' for handing them my full name. To formally introduce myself, My name is Iskandar Waver Velvet. Or you could call me by Alexander. Alex for short." he finished with a small curtsy.

She was very happy her face couldn't be seen thanks to her hair now. Rider or 'Iskandar' whooped in absolute joy.

 _To be named after me! I am a namesake, it's one of the highest of honors!  
_  
Alex waved off her stunned look, hopefully misinterpreting her expression. "Well, enough of that. I expect you're itching to be on the move after all that time sleeping. Like I said, half a day to Hollyhock, we can part ways there if you want. It'd be safer to travel together."

Archer slammed in her vocal cords. "Pay you back."

Alex raised both hands up; she noticed his wrists had a chain attached to that pendulum from earlier. So he wore two in total. "There's no-"

"No." Archer said through her mouth. Amber off took the mantle to hand back to him, realizing the significance of such an heirloom. They gave him no chance to deny her action. "We have a debt."

Alex sighed in defeat. "Alright. Umm… can you hunt?"

"Can I hunt?" Archer made her repeat with ears twitching. If they were synced, she'd be smirking by now.

He seemed to get the picture. "I'm not sure if you already knew, but just in case I'll tell you. Towns and villages outside the CCT zones don't normally accept Lien. They barter or use Dust. If you could get a few rabbits, maybe a deer, I'll consider us even."

" _No._ "

"What?" Alex went, raising his brows.

 _What?_ Amber mentally repeated.

 _A deer does not equal our life, Master. Lady Artemis and Lord Hermes would not agree to it. If he knows of Asclepius, he doth given us a generous honor. I doth not agree to it._ Archer said forcefully.

Rider bellowed, already liking the turn of events. He was carrying Lancer by his arms roaring in exuberance at the man's name.

 _Hahahaha! So you liked Young Iskandar's first impression!_ The older Iskandar already took a liking to the guy with the same name, even if they were asked to call him Alex. _Did you know I was called Alexander when I was a child? Not Iskandar now?_

 _I will not say it such. Only he seems not to be like the others..._

Archer denied with a mutter under her breath, _Like Asclepius himself._

 _Did you know him?_

 _Another story for another time. I expect to catch a deer, Master. It's a start on our debt.  
_

Amber nodded, but she hid her frown. How was she going to do that?!

* * *

When they arrived at the next village, Amber was carrying her sword with great difficulty, alongside a makeshift bow and a few arrows slung over her shoulders while having to tolerate Archer berating her every attempt at shooting a deer. It took fifty broken arrows and two bows to take the thing down. The woman sure was a task master when it came to her priorities.

And to make things worse, Archer didn't even allow Alex to help carry the prey! She had to haul a sack of limp meat which seemed to weigh more than she did, its musky and scratchy fur rubbing against her face the entire time.

 _Least we're close. The village is just over there.  
_  
Amber thanked Lancer as she took in the view; It looked like a medium sized village with a few tall buildings, dust powered lights, and a noisy bullhead, a cargo transport variant's engines humming as groaning hydraulics lowered the craft into a small hangar.

Alex greeted the gatekeeper with a smile, which the man returned friendly enough. The few militiamen in sight of the gate either didn't notice or didn't care about his choice of clothing, or the expensive mantle draped over his shoulders. While a bored looking guard made a few checks of their equipment, Amber finally noticed her recent traveling companion held a short sword on his waist.

 _A Xiphos. But look at the sheathe, it boxier than normal. I can hear a jingling from inside._

 _Doesn't look like it's been used to fight in a day of its life!  
_  
She let out an animalistic growl at one of the guards trying to lay a hand on her deer, the man backing away nervously. It seemed Archer and Berserker got along well enough on certain matters. He retreated as she kept within sight of Alex.

"Hey! I recognize that eyesore of a weapon!"

Amber tensed at the sudden voice, turning to discover a man wobbling towards the gate; her rising tension vanished when she saw him ambling on with a crutch under one arm, and a bandage coating a stump that should've been his left arm, the limb abruptly stopping right above his elbow. He looked tired, a few scars dotting his face alongside fresh bruises littered over his heavily bandaged torso.

Alex stopped next to her to wait, perhaps wanting her to handle this matter. Only for a second did she wonder why, the time it took for her to wince at the sword she carried still. A flash of worry consumed her; it was possible this man knew of the guy Assassin- no, _they_ killed back in Mountain Glenn.

When he was a couple body's lengths away, she cautiously asked, "You… know this sword?"

He nodded, wincing in pain when he supported himself on the crutch, in order to jab a hand at her. "Yeah, yeah I do. His name was Blaine, and he had a sword just like that. Last I and my partner saw him was in Mountain Glenn."

Amber needed every scrap of willpower she had to stop her wince. "Why was he there?"

"He and his partner Coraline were supposed to clear out a few Grimm nests to lay off pressure for the city. You didn't by chance see either of them did ya?" he asked, grimacing unhappily.

"Blaine… was killed." she admitted, fighting a cringe. The souls waited to see if she would clarify how he died, and the conflict tore at her.

"And Cory?" he pressured, ambling closer. A guard's raise hand was rebuffed by a sharp glance.

Features wrinkled, Amber shook her head. He breathed a sigh, whether one of relief or grief she didn't know. She wanted to explain more but instead only said, "Bandits."

Any second now she expected more questions: did she find him alive or dead? What else did she take from him? Did the ones responsible pay? No doubt Alex and the militia would be curious as well, Amber feared she'd slip up and admit she was the one to-

The sound of spit hitting the ground was heard to many in the courtyard, it came from a woman with a broken arm and a few gashes on her face coming up to join the crippled Huntsman. The blueish hair was jaggedly cut in an attempt to save it from burning. Unlike her evident companion, her thick robes did much to hide her own bandages.

"Good riddance!" she snapped, causing everyone in hearing range to blink.

"Merla! The guy's dead!" the man protested in a mix of shock and indignation.

"And I said good riddance! Blaine was useless against anything aside from large Grimm. And that girl just told us she didn't see Cory. The guy was supposed to be her meat shield. I bet he ran off like a coward, again!" Merla snarled, a snakelike tongue flicking from her mouth.

"He wasn't that bad." he shot back, swiveling his head when he realized a few residents were giving them odd looks. Amber didn't know if she should stay put to listen to this spat, but she guessed this Blaine fellow was a sore spot for the duo. Her hands clenched a bit tightly before she shook them off.

 _What's done was done._ Galahad said solemnly.

 _Idiotic, as I expected. The ignorant when weak perish._

 _Ehehehe, shoulda been awake to see that~  
_

She frowned at a few of the souls' agreement to Carmilla while the others aside from Galahad mentioned their grievances. He could have learned, improved.

"He wasss! He didn't want to ssstick together, and Cory decided to follow him in case he got lost or worse, now look." Merla jutted her good arm at him. "You're a rifleman, and most of the money we have left can't even cover a basic prosthetic! Goddess' sake, the doctor's fees and the preparation bills alone ate most of our funds!"

The woman brought her point home, which the man did nod to. "But..."

"Not to mention he threw away his rapier for that piece of shit!" Merla's jabbed hand inadvertently made Amber flinch. "He was trained as a hit and runner, and here he was with a giant cleaver. I'm not even sure he had the money to pay for the thing. We need the firepower, but if true, he shoulda gotten a grenade launcher or something instead."

The man's features scrunched up. "He did save your hide from a Gryphon though."

"And how many times have I had to bail him out? Not to mention Cory's nowhere to be found. He coulda died somewhere useful!" she finished shrilly. The fact many more people were casting looks upon them went utterly ignored. "I can't believe we graduated from Haven."

Amber grunted to get the pair's attention, which made them peer at her awkwardly. She wasn't sure if it was their own way of grieving or being genuinely angry at Louis for dying, but she was sure they didn't want her to see this display. Needing a quick breath she reached over her shoulder to take the blade off a makeshift sling, holding the weapon out to them.

"Naw… naw girl." Merla sighed, shaking her head. "Rory?"

The man copied her, slumping as his expression dropped. "Keep it. You look small, but you sure hold the thing better than Louis ever did. Maybe it'll serve you better."

The snake faunus grabbed his shoulder to drag him away, heading in the direction of a building marked with a clinic sign. The sign that she realized was a rod with a snake slithering around it, The same thing that was on Alex's pendulum. So that's what it was. Alex was a doctor, or at least he held on to the doctor's oath.

Glancing around, Merla called back, "Keep your head on a swivel yeah? And if you see a girl with duel chain sickles, you let her know Merla and Rory are doing fine. Ya hear?"

"Well, see you around. We'll try to find her but mostly we're gonna have to retrain ourselves since Headmaster Lionheart didn't do us any favors." Rory said his farewells, leaving Amber to stare at the weapon in her hands. He wasn't sure if she was fine with what happened, but at least she knew the matter was over.

When she turned around to find Alex again, she saw he had wandered to a nearby merchant stall, haggling with the owner by the look of it. The seller appeared invigorated at the act, and they both ended up shaking hands with smiles.

"You can leave the deer here. I talked to a man in charge of the stalls, he'll get a butcher to work on the meat. Do you want the pelt?" he checked.

Archer immediately nodded in her head, which she copied. Alex gestured for her to drop her burden off, the shopkeeper giving her an impressed thanks in response. When she turned to leave, the owner tapped on his bench to catch Amber's attention, discovering a warm pasty he left for her. Exchanging a curious look, he smiled and indicated for her to take it. Archer resisted showing a happy face in her mind when she went to take a bite. It wasn't until a cough captured their attentions did Amber turn around, facing the next stranger for her to meet.

To her surprise there wasn't one, but two: the older of the duo was a late twenties-ish man wearing a thick white suit lined in red, while a black bowlers hat was placed atop his orange colored hair joining a gray scarf wrapped around his neck. In contrast, his companion was a girl younger than him by several years, clad in a white jacket and black tights as she twirled a parasol. What drew her eye the most was her hair, halved between brunette and pink, just like her two colored eyes. Somehow, Amber was reminded of an uncommon ice cream by her coloring.

Alex was the first to speak, waving a hand to catch their attention. "Roman! A bit early isn't it?"

Amber widened her eyes when the man tipped his hat in a greeting, smiling respectfully. His hands moved to twirl something non existent in his grip, before he paused to slump. When he pawed at his waist, the woman saw a broken cane looped into a belt.

"Allie! Sorry for showing up when you're with a lady friend." he said suggestively, first causing his female companion to smirk, then making Amber faintly blush and frown(thanks to _many_ souls in her head), "As you can see, I've hit a few snags on some unforeseen issues. How about we head over to the usual? I got some bad news."

* * *

 **To give you a rundown on the Round Table(hah!) The seating goes like this. You also get some true names. But any Fate veteran can tell by my descriptions.**

 **Goes clockwise:**

 **Head Seat, presumably at 6: Amber**

 **7: Berserker**

 **8: Assassin, Carmilla**

 **9: Caster, Mephistopheles**

 **10: Shadowed**

 **11: Shadowed**

 **12: Shadowed**

 **13?: Shielder, Galahad**

 **1: Shadowed**

 **2: Shadowed**

 **3: Lancer**

 **4: Rider, Iskander**

 **5: Archer**

* * *

 **A/N: Ok so I have a few issues to say. It's mostly about my ineptitude about RWBY Vol 6. They added a lot of things that I well, didn't expect them to add this early. An example is the Arc family. I never expected them to be in the show unless it was a passing remark or such as indicated previously in the other volumes. This includes Ozma prehistory lore and the other… things.**

 **I created this outline with the expressed intention of Vol 6. not being released but I was late. So I spent days to figure out how to add Vol 6. Lore into my FatexRWBY alternate universe when Vol 6. did drop, and I failed. Well I could, but I'd have to rewrite a lot of things.**

 **One of which is the Arc family. Which they will be part of the story in a few chapters. Not for long but enough to show that they exist and such. This is meant to lead into the JNPR and RWBY sections of the fic as planned, I will start using teams RWBY and JNPR from Chapter 7 and onwards in varying screen times. Mainly to show butterfly effects, comparing time-frames to the school semesters, and a few other… tidbits. As RWBY and JNPR will be important later on. Honest, they will.**

 **But I had to decide whether to rewrite, or say screw it, I'll going all in. "No apologies."**

 **I've written enough and planned enough with easter eggs, hints, lore drops to just… shove the first option away. So I'm going to have to write this with maybe/maybe not Vol 6 lore being added. Considering my rendition of the Silver Warriors ties into counter- you know what? I'll leave it up to you.**

 **Stay or leave. I'll respect you of either choice.**

 **That being said. This is a transitory chapter into more story focus pieces(Thanks for reminding me Guest reviewer, not sarcastic.) and moving into character development…. I hope. Sorry if it feels like I'm bogging things down. I just want to keep certain details in or make it respectable to have the thought of "Well she ran, we got info on Amber running down south thanks to spies and Cinder BS, and we got Tyrian around… Let's have him find her to finish the job. Or else we'd be stupid for the plot".**

 **I know how weird that sounds for the people that say how OOC my characters are and stick around to read, and I've left my thoughts on that point on chapter 3. I won't defend myself to people that won't try to take my explainations with a grain of salt. And for the ones that stay. I appreciate it, really.**

 **Sorry about laying all this down. I hope you stick around and enjoy my fic. Happy reading and if anyone is an avid FGO player(doesn't AFK for days) PM me if you want me as a friend. I was lucky enough to obtain Merlin during his banner.**


	7. Starting Secrets

**Oh my... I'm sorry. The weather makes me so sleepy. But here, take this and hope you forgive me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Starting Secrets**

His stomach sure did give him a few loopty loops ever since the initial first day of hell. It took a few hours to finding every piece of liquor he had stashed away to send them off to a better home. The moment Qrow had a sense of self again, he realized how bad his flat was. He shook his head, onto the next part of his self imposed 'rehab', and hopefully a goody along the way.

Junior's bar in broad daylight had to make Qrow whistle in appreciation. Sure the guy was maybe the least scummy of the scumbag bosses in Vale, but he took pride in his legitimate businesses. He heard the place came across a wrecking ball(Yang) a few nights ago and he thought the place was still in renovation.

Suffice it to say, it looked good as new.

The bouncers, or rather 'security detail' of the club looked at him with wide eyes. Guess a sudden change looked magical to bystanders. Beard trimmed, hair cleaned, clothes fresh pressed; he looked straight out of a classy restaurant instead of his usual. Qrow palmed at the nonexistent Harbinger that he needed to get fixed back at home but shrugged. He'd get to it eventually.

Amber's performance was still on his mind. He'd have to up his game, and that meant going back to the gym.

He smirked a clean toothy smile at the guy in front of the entrance, which gave him a nod to get him in. The inside of the club looked none worse for ware, aside from the crew reapplying tiles back into the floor of the dance zone. The tables, chairs, lounges, hell even the bar was spic and span. His eyes scanned the usual spots, a pair of guards or the occasional 'big boy' stood with hands linked in front of their waist.

His eyes landed on the figure of Junior marking checks on a clipboard, probably overlooking inventory or some other. The man didn't look all that preoccupied and Qrow never did care if he was an ass.

He slammed a pile of lien cards on the table but refrained from taking a seat. "Junior!"

"Qrow Branwen." The big club owner said just as he was about have a hand on a few drinking glasses to clean. He watched the man look up to give him a nod. "What're you looking for?"

Qrow gestured to the pile of cards on the table, "The tab"

"Damn. You're really quittin aren't ya?" Junior said, his hands already flipping through the lien to count how much was there. The man nodded before setting them aside to look back with a conflicted expression, "I ain't judging, but I'm happy to say I don't have to keep losing money and drink every time you show up."

"What can I do for ya?" Junior asked with his hands shuffling through the drawers and cupboards to set the glasses away after a good clean. Qrow rubbed his chin a bit to keep it dramatic. He gave the club owner a once-over for any unexpected moves.

"Hei Xiong, the little bear."

Junior stiffened at his real name. The man frowned as he shuffled his feet. "What's this about?"

"A few nights ago. That girl that wrecked this place, she's my niece."

"Damn. Shit, Qrow I had no idea, honest." The man said with his hands up to scratch the back of his neck. A look of defiance appeared on Junior's face before he pointed at him. "It's your fault anyway, keeping that kid a secret and everything."

He waved it off, the guy had a point there. "Ain't nothing about it Junior. I saw you wanted to charge her."

"Yeah, no offence but little shit doesn't get how the underworld works. I guess I have you and that blonde idiot to thank for that." Junior nodded before picking up a bottle of vodka from a nearby box and set it in one of the shelves. The man looked a bit more relaxed, but he kept his hands on something to calm the nerves. "Still, I just wanted to teach her a lesson. A few day in lock up with the real scumbags in another cell would give her the right hints. The city's got rules."

"Don't I know it. Did you tell her?"

Junior shook his head, "Kept my promise. Tight lipped about the other bird."

He nodded in thanks at that. Raven was a touchy subject to many and he didn't want Yang to get too attached with the idea of finding her. Junior was the best information broker this side of the kingdom, and if the man really wanted to, he could dig up the things that people wanted to stay buried. "Now, If you ain't drinking, or here for one of the other services I can give ya, Why are you here?"

A silence filled the bar up as Qrow took his sweet time getting another scan of the building. The employees looked relax as ever, no amount of tension or issues occurred as Junior waited for him. In a quick fashion, he dropped the pendent he found a few days earlier on the table.

He heard a sharp intake from Junior and he noticed the man started to get paler. He raised his brow. Not a lot scared the man, and even if they did, whatever it was had to be there in front of his face for the man to back off.

"Qrow, I think you should leave." Junior voice came out a bit loudly and he realized alot of the guards stationed around the walls had their attention firmly on him. They didn't move a muscle, but he knew their eyes were on him.

Seriously? What about the trinket was so special?

"So you do know something."

"I'm the _Yellow Bear of Vale_ , Qrow." Junior said with a scowl, his arms shaking slightly. The man even shoved the necklace back into his hands. "And I'm telling you now. Don't look into it."

"Sorry Junior. I'm gonna need what you got." The other guards tensed when he leaned forward. Junior raised a hand to stop them from going any further. It might've been their jobs, but everyone knew not to mess with Qrow Branwen, especially Junior. He quickly added, "What's the price? Or do I have to get it off ya the hard way?"

The man shook his head, "You two really are alike…."

"Fine. It's your funeral." Junior said before he watched the man leave the bar for his office. The club owner pointed at him to stay as he walked with a bit of a limp. Courtesy of Yang, Qrow wagered.

It took a few short minutes but out came Junior with a flimsy little file in his hands. The guy dropped it unceremoniously in front of him and Qrow narrowed his eyes.

"That's it?"

Junior grunted, "Take it or leave it. No charge."

Really, not even setting up a new tab for favors in the future? Just as Qrow reached for the file, Juniors rough hands slammed themselves into his own with a tight grip. He saw the man get paler and paler by the second.

"I'm telling you now Qrow. The moment you walk out of this club with that file. You're on yer own, ya hear? No one in this city's gonna help ya. I mean it, last chance." When Junior said that, Qrow felt the tremors in the man strength tenfold. Whatever was the file spooked him like no tomorrow. Even without Aura, Qrow figured he could shove the man's arms away with a flick of his wrists. The man licked his lips nervously before adding, "That's a promise."

"Yeah, I'll take it." The man let him walk out with the file in hand. He shoved the thing in his front pocket just as he noticed everyone in the room. They all had slightly pale faces, legs trembling slightly as their weapons shuddered in their holsters.

Everyone else looked like they were seeing a ghost. Or a dead man walking.

Just as a bouncer opened the for him to get out of the club, Junior hollered his last few words, "And whatever you do, I'm not going any further with you. Whatever you get yourself into, leave me and mine out of it. Don't even try to call in a favor, threats, or whatever. I got too much to lose to play with this stuff."

* * *

It didn't take long for her to see Alex and apparently Roman Torchwick, Phantom Thief of the four kingdoms to greet each other. Amber stepped a bit to the side as the two men shook hands like old pals. A sudden feeling of someone watching her had her turn, revealing that woman with multicolored hair to smirk at her.

With curiosity nagging and the fact that Rider and Lancer were interested in the sudden development, she reluctantly accepted Alex's invitation for a meal at the place he and Roman were going to meet. She also didn't want to just run off without getting new clothes and returning what she borrowed.

The walk wasn't actually all that long and the tavern was a bit spruced up compared to a few other places they passed by. In fact, Amber noticed a lot of the employees bowed to both of the men as they were ushered into a private booth, secluded away from the bustle of other customers.

"Ahh, I forgot to introduce my illustrious partner. It's the first time you met her. Neo, Allie. Allie, Neo." Roman said. A heavy thud of a pair of briefcases followed, echoing in the building as a another set of bundles landed on part of the table that the group was using. Alex bowed to the woman.

"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Alex, and this is…"

She called out just as she took a seat, grateful how it was a lounge instead of a booth. "...Amber" The pair stared at her, Neo gestured to point at herself and to Roman and the man got the gist of it. He hummed as if they had an understanding. She pointed at the ginger, a slight growl came with it. "You're… Roman Torchwick."

If this was the first time Roman was going to let this Neo meet Alex, then by most rights, she was the muscle. The only issue was the attitude of Neo. The woman was leaning a bit close too close for comfort to her. The woman narrowed her eyes as she quickly reached up to feel her rib bones. Amber yelped from the sudden moment.

"Oooh, My reputation precedes me." The man smiled and took a theatrical bow just as Neo wagged her finger. He tipped his hat before setting it on a spare seat on his side of the lounge. He continued without an ounce of humility, "You got it. Roman Torchwick; Phantom Thief, Smuggler, Industry Scammer, and Dashing Gentleman at your service."

"Fam….ous." She grunted, now with her hands holding her sides in case Neo pulled a fast one.

"I pride in having a big _**zero** _in my bounties across the four kingdoms." Roman stressed as he sat down followed by Alex. The ginger added as if it was an afterthought, "By the way, here Allie."

As soon as a menu was handed to her, the latches on the cases were open to reveal large selections of crystal Dust. The shine and glow to show their level of quality had her take a breath. Every kind of every type was there; different shades of blues, reds, greens, orange… It was like a rainbow.

Alex hummed in appreciation and took out a case of his own to reveal a small pile of Lien. The two exchanged cases and Alex also took the bundles wrapped in cloth, not even caring to check the contents.

 _Gahahaha, well traveled!_

Roman smiled, "Pleasure doing business with you."

"You mentioned bad news, Roman?"

The man sighed, rubbing his face. It revealed a few fading bruises and scratch marks. It was also the first time Amber noticed the criminal's attire. Fresh pressed, washed, cleaned with the oozing smell of detergent still lingering. Roman took his cane out, twirling it in his fingers.

"I'm gonna have to stop our regular meetings, shipments too." Roman said with a frown, pausing when a waiter came around to drop off a cigar. "I hate to lose a well paying customer on top of good company, but I've hit a snag."

Alex chuckled, "You? Roman Torchwick?"

The man shrugged with a smile, "Yeah, see I was doing this one job. Get some goons, hit up a mom and pop Dust Shop on their behalf. The usual."

Really? Hitting up family businesses is the usual for him? Alex seemed to notice her body language and patted her shoulder with a disarming smile. "He at times help out the smaller businesses when corporations get pushy."

Roman laughed, waving it off as he leaned back. "Hard to buy them wholesale offa the SDC for small shops to keep afloat. Sure we can get em from Hyperion or Yudi, the SDC's rivals, but they're so low on supply that it would make it worse for everyone if the big leagues saw a competitor growing. So, I stage a few robberies, ruffle up the owners. Let them cash in on the insurance."

 _For a man to do bad things for good reasons, however meager the reasons maybe… It's disheartening to see._

Neo patted her own pockets just as Roman added, "And we get Dust, everyone wins."

She tilted her head, it sounded like an easy job then if everyone was in on it. "... Different?"

"The problem was what happened before; I shouldn't be lopping my gripes here but, she's going to be a pain, I know it."

Roman seemed to shake his head while Neo was already ordering what she wanted. She raised a brow when Neo kept pointing over at item after item until landing at her. The multicolored woman patted her stomach in a gesture.

"Anyways, the usual. Then suddenly, one of my goons, a new guy I got from Junior just sticks a gun to some kid's face!"

Archer from within tensed at the words that came out of his mouth. Berserker added to it as she stifled a growl. Roman seemed to understand her or misunderstand her as he continued. "Worse, girly. Red was a huntress in training. The kind that's over the top in confidence, pride… she was such a goody goody! I had to jump on a bullhead to here after she did some damage to my Melodic Cudgel."

The ginger raised his weapon slightly for all to see. A large gash marked the top where the handle was and a few holes went through the shaft while a the bottom was long gone, broken in two by blunt force.

"But to the point. I'm stuck with a real taskmaster here, Allie. An up and comer with big plans and she's scary to boot!"

 _Basically, she's got him by the balls._ Lancer chuckled while Amber put a finger to her chin; Out of the corner of her eye, Neo was mucking about with her weapon she laid down to the side. She emitted a berserker filled growl and the girl smiled it off. Neo poked and prodded the sword, getting a feel of the grooves before stopping by the slots where gemstones could have been filled it up. Neo patted her own biceps and back to her. Amber nodded while Neo covered her mouth in a silent snicker.

Alex sighed, "Then we will have to part ways. Do you have any other patrons that you're going to cut off?"

"Worried about me?"

"Hardly, but allow me to hand you some parting gifts." Alex said. She noticed the man next to her open a few buttons in his pack. Out came a large case, the size of a toolbox and a smaller jewelry box. He reached with palm up at Roman and called out, "Cane."

"I'm not one to deny a gesture," Roman responded, handing the weapon to him. Alex quickly gave the cane a once-over before nodding. He pulled out a knife and saw, revealing all of the tools inside his box. Roman whistled, "That's some hardware you got there, Allie."

 _Tools fit for offering to Hephaestus,_ Rider mused. _Think we can get a spear for Lancer?_

Said blue haired man perked up at the thought.

Amber nodded in tandem, not understanding and watched Alex cut off the broken end to make it smooth, a twist in pipe went in the cane to make it attachable while Alex cleaned the inner workings of the hollow tube. She, Roman, and even Neo paused to watch the man work. A dust holder in the shape of a small revolver chamber was quickly adjusted into a slot at the middle of the cane while making it attached to a new barrel to make it long again.

Alex flipped out a small knife with subtle inlines and took out a dust crystal. Roman hummed, "SDC controls nearly everything about Dust, so this is a surprise to find out you're a Dust Carver, Allie. Thought you had your own whenever I send my shipments over. "

The Dust carver ignored him in favor to line the edges of the cane with the Dust and filled the chamber with crystal instead of powder. Eventually Roman was handed a weapon back that looked good as new. The ginger twirled it a few times, getting the feel of its weight.

"What's it do?"

"The revolver casing replaced your signature Dust bullets. It works more along the lines of firing charged dust in its natural form, such as controlled fire or lightning shocks. The Dust lining on the edges allow the cane to be used much more as a primary weapon,like a sword cane without the blade. I added a few more adjustments but to summarize; It's a Cane, Sword, and Rifle." Alex said. He pointed to the top where a dial piece that formed along to the end of the crock of the cane. "I added a selector if you ever decide to use different types of dust or ammunition."

Rider whistled just as Lancer eyed the cane in Roman's hand with look. She watched Roman nod with a face of appreciation, but Alex wasn't done. He quickly set the jewelry box in front of the man.

"In case you ever want to find more customers that are… similar to me. Or if you require services yourself."

"Guys that want me to break into secured vaults or museums? You've got odd taste in antiques, Allie."

"Think of it as a membership card."

"Hah, like a social club." Roman said as he palmed it in his hands. He nodded before pocketing it without a glance, "Might not use it, but appreciated."

Neo had finally stopped messing around with her and went over to get a feel of the mantle on Alex's shoulders. She gestured to Roman with a pair of hands grasping an invisible jacket and swooshing it around.

"I might have similar tastes but don't you think it'd get dirtier as time goes by? Allie here doesn't do much aside from walking." Said man laughed at the ginger's jest.

After a few more minutes of waiting and a moment for Alex to carve in his emblem, a dangling pendulum, at the behest of Roman, the food quickly came along. The table was piled high with dishes ranged from deer to beef, stews, bread, salads; Everything was filled to the brim. Many of the souls salivated, which in turn made her drool a bit.

"Go ahead. It's on me. Think of it as payment for the new cane."

 _A drink! Grab a drink!_

 _Rider, we will not be getting alcohol._

 _Aww, how about mead then? It's the weakest stuff._

 _Lancer!_

 _Do they have any wine?_

 _Apples! Thou must take a slice of apple pie!_

Neo jutted a slice of venison in her direction and she gulped. She was pretty hungry. In a flash everyone in the table including herself found out that the amount of food she could consume could break an average person's bank account. Courtesy of all the souls affecting her and something she dearly needed to learn about.

* * *

Roman and Neo had said their goodbyes, jumping on a Bullhead back to Vale. The sight of the airships' engines whirled as it passed by up into the clouds from where they were standing. They stayed for a night which Amber found the time to get new clothes thanks to the barter with the deer earlier. It took hours during the morning as every ego pushed a different article of clothing.

Assassin while disinterested in the material of the clothing urged her to get a corset which was then quickly rejected after learning no combat acceptable ones were sold. The woman then decided to drag her in her mind about a sweater. That was the start of piling demands. Lancer wanted boots for perfectly acceptable reasons(Assassin demanded heels with them, followed by Archer and Berserker's restrained agreement) while Rider called for gauntlets(Caster tempted her into skin tight sleeves). Berserker growled for a skirt and Archer kept making her stare at a green hoodie.

After it was all said and done, she walked out with one a single set of clothes that might or might not be able to take damage in fights. Thankfully Galahad didn't ask for anything, preferring to help her out with the slew of arguments instead.

Amber sighed. She ended up wearing a white cashmere sweater(Assassin so wanted that) with arm sleeves hidden underneath added into a green hoodie(that oddly looked like Archer's hair), a white skirt, and metal heeled boots(Lancer urged for greaves). At least she had the freedom to add a pair of thigh highs as she wasn't used to a skirt. They denied her of shorts. Alex didn't need to, or maybe he did since she had his clothes, in helping her pick out the right colors and making everything… not clash.

With her temporary companion able to get his clothes back, the two ended up facing each other at the village gates. Alex looked relieved as he asked, "Where will you be heading off to?"

Amber paused and think about that. What was she going to do next? If she had to be honest, it stumped her. At first she originally wanted to search for the truth about herself since the appearance of her powers. Now she confirmed that she was a Maiden even if it was from a psycho. A psycho that was hired just to kill her after a group of people failed to finish the deed.

If those people at Vale weren't there, she could get into the libraries for their dusty books. But if she was honest with herself, it looked like Vale wasn't going to be much of a safe spot either, with Roman talking about how there was going to be a new face in the criminal underworld.

 _We really don't have an idea do we, Master?_

She shrugged at Lancer's question. It also served to answer Alex's as well. The man sighed, "I'd suggest you to head on to your normal traveling spots, maybe even a home village. But that would be ignorant of me."

 _Home? Can we go home?_

 _Did you forget? The Magi is correct; We still are being targeted by Tyrian the assassin. The danger that would occur to your village..._ Galahad started, pausing to leave the end of his sentence for her to fill in by herself.

 _Then where? As loathe I am to admit it; Should Master just run?_ Assassin asked with the image of her looking at her nails appeared.

Archer piped in, teeth gritting and holding a proverbial axe to grind, _Hunt him down ourselves_

 _And our own situation? I'm all up for a fight as the next one, but Master ain't us you remember. We don't even know where he is, or where his reinforcements are._

 _I still believe Alex will be a good choice._

 _Come off it Rider. You're supposed to be on Master's side._ Lancer complained.

The image of Iskandar appeared, fist waving in a complaining manner. _I am!_

Amber smiled a bit, which earned a confused look from the sole physical being in her vicinity.

The faunus soul shook her head from within. _The oath of healing no longer is in effect, Rider. As seen with his blade and his connections; This Magi doth hold secrets and abilities like others. Shalt we play with fire and see his experiments?_

 _Let me to explain; Master is no doubt magical in origin. Her abilities of being able to manipulate the weather as if she were a mature caster during our time alive proves that. Especially when there were no incantations. She calls for her mana not from a simple arrangement of magic circuits like many after the death of Magecraft, but from something like a magic core. The only things we know at least that carry magic cores are of the transcendent kind. Yet..._

Caster laughed eerily, playing with a dagger that looked like half a pair of scissors. _Yet she's human. An interesting puzzle don't you think? I sure bet many would be willing to dissect her if they found out._

Rider did little to stop everyone getting riled up. He nodded with a sigh, a truth that everyone now her, understood. _A maiden is no doubt a central factor of Magi in this era. Whether for selfish or altruistic gain, it doesn't matter. Alex will assuredly know of what a Maiden is._

 _Let us not forget._

Lancer agreed with the soul of the shield, _Tyrian said 'you maidens'._

 _There's more,_ she uttered. It was followed by multiple nods in agreement and a growl from Berserker. Tyrian just didn't specify how many more there were; What they could do, their importance, and why they existed.

 _Then can Magi be trusted?_ She asked, no longer using the fantastical stories or fairytales as her basis. Reality was different, people came in a sorts of shades, and it felt like Magi were mostly on the darker side.

 _They usually have bad first impressions. Or the reputation paints them in a stereotype._ Rider said with a pointed look at Caster. Amber had to agree, Caster wasn't really what she expected a Magi… she played that word in her mind, was. He continued just as Archer gave a sad look. _Which one of you have had a Magi accompany you when you were alive?_

 _You speak soundly. I know of many Magi._ Answered the faunus soul. She could feel a wave of regret from the connection, followed by an unyielding rage. It died down while Lancer sighed into a nervous laugh.

 _...Ahh, I was kinda like a Magi. I do fulfill the Caster requirements and all._ Lancer clarified, _But I wasn't good._

 _Still; Waver's bloodline, though the thought of having his ancestors being two, perhaps more followers that would appear in my Noble Phantasm did turn my bias towards him, I admit. But, maybe we can gauge him before revealing ourselves?_

Her head started to become a small tug of war right after Iskandar said those words. The souls argued over the best course of action; Of letting the Magi in on their knowledge or walking away from the possible issues that might occur. The demerits and benefits flowed out through each ego as they got longer and longer in arguing. Everyone had an opinion. Rider and Archer debated over the trustworthiness of the suited man while Lancer spoke about how they could out of it when things turned for the worse with Berserker nodding or shaking her vigorously to show her support. Caster and Assassin talked on how dangerous it would be with each conjuring a mental image of experimentation or just plain shoving her into a lab.

In the end, Amber jutted a finger to the man before she asked, "Where?"

It was thanks to Galahad as he was the voice of reason to the whole debacle. The knight was calm and merely used facts in his words. _Where else is she going to find out more about her status? A definite explanation rather than conjecture? It's well known Magi are a rare breed, especially now. I've only ever known a total of two, both on the opposite extremes of views. How will we find another if this one leaves?_

He was the one that got her to figure out what she was going to do. The knight really shined through with his polite demeanor and critical thinking. She watched Alex look at a pocket watch before he pulled out a letter.

"I'll be heading to Domremy. I have a few packages to deliver, family heirlooms." He said, patting at the two objects wrapped in cloth. No, mystic codes meant to seal what was inside. Alex thought for a moment before holding up a set of fingers. "I also have a letter about a child named Jaune I'm supposed to examine at the behest of his grandfather."

Two days. That wasn't bad, and enough for them to do what she was thinking about. If she played her cards right; They'd travel with Alex for a small time so they got to know him. If he fit the bill, she'd start with the act of intimidation(Archer and Assassin urged her to show who held the power) in case if he tried to do what Caster was warning about. They'd then explain at least her predicament with the extra soul pieces to ease him in(something Lancer and Iskander said that Magi were most definitely in the know of). And finally they'd talk about her status as a Maiden. Maybe not in that order.

"I… come?"

Alex gave a surprised expression, "Are you sure? It's literally the center of the frontier lands."

She gave him a nod and noticed he grit his teeth slightly. The man patted the left side of his coat with a slight tremble in his fingers before he smiled. Amber raised an unseen brow. Maybe she didn't need to scare him at all. Did he know something already?

He shook his head and let a pendulum dangle on a gold chain from one of his wrists. In a quick look, Alex nodded to himself before starting, "We'll use the roads from here until a fork up north. It's going to have us get closer to colder climates so we're going to move fast in the daytime. Hopefully, we won't have to encounter any Grimm and the like."

Just as she walked within arms length, she heard a slight mutter from the man beside her. It was only thanks to the other souls that she was able to pick up on it. A foreboding omen.

"Oh World, is this the Counter Force?"

* * *

 **Had to cut this chapter short a bit. Arc Family appears and a bit of RWBY/JNPR at the end of next chapter... I hope. It's on track I think. Thanks for the view, and I hope you enjoyed this so far.**


	8. A Different History

**Ah hahahahaha. I hope I run this for maybe 5 chapters at max.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: (Domremy I) History's Subjective**

" _Again"_

 _She winced in pain, a large thwack from a bowstring lashing against her forearm causing a large red welt to form. She flinched when her arrow failed to hit the mark, a makeshift target a few dozen meters away._

 _Archer stood to the side with a firm look while a few others lazed about, did their own thing, or watched the girl torture herself in her mindscape. Even in her dreams, she no longer had the luxury to relax, or at least get a good night's sleep. Train, train, train, that was what she wanted-no,_ needed _._

 _They've been at it for what felt like hours, and this was just the second night on the road. The traveling was very peaceful in Amber's opinion; Very few Grimm were on their road thus far, while no types of outlaws lazed around area to ambush unsuspecting travelers. She dispatched the Grimm without any issue compared to before, in fact, that was when she realized the attitude of her traveling companion._

 _For the past day and night, Alex seemed to become wary of her presence. He seemed fine when they first spoke to each other, and was very chilled in the village. The issue came up when she decided to travel with him to Domremy. His face turned a shade paler, while his attention looked like it was at a knife's tip. The man was constantly checking his surroundings during their trek, thinking she wouldn't notice._

" _How bout you skip the archery. Clearly the woman can't teach at all." Lancer snickered off to the side. The faunus soul in question grit her teeth with a frown, and powered towards her. In a flash, the copy of a generic looking bow flashed out of her hands and reappeared in the woman's own._

" _Tis not my place to be a crutch for the girl." Archer defended tightly, pointing at her with a firm look. "You fail to even change your stance. Stubborn one, had't ye taken my demonstration to memory?"_ " _You went too fast!" Amber protested indignantly, shaking her head with a stomp on the imaginary grass. She was sure if she were awake, the bow would be crushed by now._

 _Archer sighed, "I shall do it again, slowly."_

 _The faunus held up the bow in her left hand, Amber narrowing her eyes at the stance she adopted. It looked so relaxed, so easy. So why couldn't she get it?_

" _It isn't a person for ye to strangle, Master. Bend the elbow and use the base of thine thumb as a brace for the handle. Loosen the fingers else when you draw, your aim shakens." Archer answered her unspoken thoughts, once the line was drawn beyond her nose. With a release and a soft thwack the line slammed against the bow once, fully missing her forearm._

 _The arrow obediently flew a perfect line to a practice dummy, hundreds of meters away. The soul hit the most advanced target as if it was nothing, yet Amber was struggling with the easiest one!_

" _This is the most basic of forms. Anything else must require the foundations first." A second and then a third arrow were unleashed, each following shit going faster than the last to emphasize her words. Amber watched in a daze to see every arrow land into the previous one, splitting them in half. Galahad certainly looked impressed, applauding while the others chuckled a bit._

 _Archer stepped back and gestured for her to go ahead. "Again."_

 _The girl sighed and lifted her bow slowly, attempting to copy the soul's moves. She seemed to be doing something right, if none of the souls mentioned anything remiss. With a thwack of the string, the arrow flew to hit the very corner of the closest target she aimed at. This time without the sting in her arm._

" _One hundred more."_

 _And just like that, Archer's words tanked her joy. Amber grunted to shoot again, following the same motions as accurately as possible and hiding her disappointment._

 _Rider snickered off to the side. "You're with me after this. Your hand-to-hand work requires polishing!"_

" _By the way, who's Asclepius anyway?" Lancer asked with a confused look, butting into the conversation. He raised a brow at her exercise before turning to the faunus. "I get Rider here giving that Magi a pass, but you? What's so special about him that made you let the guy get near Master?"_

 _She paused when she noticed said woman stiffening, her lion ears flicked back in irritation._

" _I'm not blind, ya know. Before you found out about that 'rod of Asclepius' or whatever it was, you were fully ready to take over her body like Assassin, and kill him if there was any sudden moves. The moment you saw it?" he shrugged, ignoring Archer's gritted teeth. "Sat down like a stray cat."_ " _A mere guard dog's ignorance." she snapped back._

 _The man waved it off. "Yeah, yeah. And you're a cat."_

" _Hahahahaha." Rider laughed with his hands raised, breaking the growing tension between the two souls. He smiled with a thinking posture. "Lancer."_

" _Yeah?" he replied, leaning back further._

 _The gigantic man smirked at the other's confused expression. "How does your culture view Snakes?"_

" _Pretty complicated." Lancer answered, he thought for a moment before continuing. "But I'd have to say mostly good. We had Brigid, a deity that patrons serpents. What about it?"_

" _What did she represent?" Rider pressed lightly._

" _Poetry, Arts and Crafts, Smithing, Livestock, the Season of Spring, Medi-" the blue haired man halted mid sentence, widening his eyes. He glanced between the other souls who likewise jerked upwards in realization. "-cine. Medicine."_

 _Rider nodded. "Asclepius was our god of Healing and Medicine. But I'll leave it to our Archer to tell the rest. She has first hand experience with the man."_

 _Amber halted her exercise at the twentieth shot, curious about all the new information. She'd never heard of an Asclepius, or even a Brigid. If they were really gods, how did Archer actually meet one of hers?_

" _Ascepius was a demigod at the beginning, and he was a member of the Argonauts for a time."_

 _Lancer leaned forward to listen to the woman's voice, growing soft by remembrance. "Like you right? That's where you met him, the ship called the Argo?"_

" _...Correct. He was different from the others; When Medea came aboard and traveled with us, she changed from a priestess in the healing arts to a witch." A frown of reminiscence appeared on Archer's face. She stared up into the black sky and continued, "It was thanks to him that Medea's change was benign, at least until he left us."_

 _Amber set her bow down on the grass, slowly walking towards the gathering._

" _He also accompanied many on the hunt for a Calydonian beast. He didn't fight himself, merely supporting us when any were injured." A smile appeared on the woman's face, if only a little bit. She was already walking along memory lane since Amber sat down to listen without a word of reprimand. "Kind and open to many of the self proclaimed 'heroes' of the Argo, carrying a rod wreathed with a snake. He always lent an ear to the troubled words of the crew, having time to give words of wisdom despite his young age. The man surpassed even his teacher and father in the healing arts, which Medea was ecstatic to know there was another to speak of their profession."_

" _You liked the guy." Amber blurted out. The whiplash that happened afterwards could have snapped her own neck if it were the physical world._

" _I respected him." Archer growled. "He saw naught of my gender, nor questioned my abilities. We had mutual respect for each other."_

 _"I can appreciate that." Rider noted approvingly._

 _Archer nodded. "I was raised by Lady Artemis, and he was born from her brother, Apollo. In a way, we were family."_

 _Lancer clearly didn't believe her, drawling, "...Suuure"_

 _A split second later, an arrow lodged itself by Lancer's foot. The man started to move around the area, cursing while he dodged the projectiles being shot from Archer's bow at an astounding pace. A solid minute went by before she sighed, her archery practice halting abruptly. Maybe she could take a seat and rest a bit._

 _Then a heavy pressure landed on her shoulder. She turned to greet Rider's smiling face, and repressed a groan._

" _Don't be like that! You might be able to handle yourself, but if we're going to end up fighting servant level opponents in the future, we'll need you. We have to be prepared."_

 _The two moved to a spot a bit farther away from the others. Sounds of arrows missing their intended shots reverberated in her ears, the image of Lancer dodging each one passing by her eyes. She and Rider stood across from each other by a few feet when she asked, "Hand to hand right?"_

" _Both." he replied. Several translucent forms of swords appeared on the ground in front of them, noticing they looked a lot like the blade she carried when she was awake. Rider pulled a sword up with one hand and took a stance. "We have a sword at our disposal, so I'm going to teach you a bit of swordplay first."_

 _Amber watched the man approach her slowly, holding his sword up in one hand while the other rested by his hip. Thanks to her newly attained strength, she followed suit. Their blades clashed slowly, eventually it turned into a set of patterns for her to mimic. Over tine the fight slowly changed, getting faster and faster, before more varied weapons appeared, switching between one handed to two handed postures. He smiled at her growing experience, "I might not be a Saber-class, but I think my skill will serve you well."_

* * *

Amber awoke to the sounds of a fire being started, just like before. Her companion must have had a habit of waking up early as the sun was just barely over the horizon. She stretched with her arms spread wide followed by a relieved grunt. She was used to traveling the road but that was when she had a horse and her sleeping bag. The grass and rough barks of trees didn't help much with the cold hard ground, putting spikes of pressure on her shoulders and back.

In one motion, the deer pelt which had been treated by the villagers of Hollyhock free of charge landed on the ground beside her. The butcher and tailor didn't have to, but they spent the effort to stitch the thick hide into a cloak, and for that she was grateful.

Her eyes wandered to check the campsite per many of the souls instructions, hunting for any signs of disturbances. Everything was where it should be and she took a whiff of what Alex was working on in his pot, a pheasant that she caught yesterday. She honestly wanted to find out for about him to gauge his demeanor with her.

He was a Magi, and she knew next to nothing about Magi. Did he do magic? Is magic real? Could anyone do it? Why were they so secretive? Because she bet if the people of Remnant knew, they'd rank them higher than Huntsmen. How many were there? Are there Magi schools? And if there were, how come no one noticed?!

A growl came out of her lips accidentally, which she covered up with a hand. Alex smiled just as he handed a bowl and spoon, this time there was an extra portion for both of them. They ate in silence for a few moment until she heard him start. "Go on. You must have something to ask."

Amber sat there, thinking about what she wanted to know. There were a lot of things, but she didn't know what exactly to ask. She certainly wanted to get to the root of the issue however.

 _What are Maidens, since I am one?_ She shook her head. Asking something like that from the get go was stupid.

Alex tilted his head with a small frown, she wondered what he could be thinking right now. Especially since she was playing the 'bad at talking quiet girl' thanks to her connection to Berserker. Even then, she would probably be a bit harsh, crazy, overbearing, rude, or just plain ornery if she synced with any of the other souls too. She sighed, her soul being patched up by nothing but the pieces of the other souls in her head was influencing her. Of course things wouldn't fit right. She knew that, they knew that.

Hah, she even thought of themselves as a ' _we_ ' instead of ' _I_ ' now…

 _Just ask already! We'll read through him.  
_  
She vehemently ignored that thought away from her crosshairs. That was too much to start off right at dawn. Slowly, Amber reached to a book stacked neatly by a log, pulling the hardcover square up to gesture at it first, then to him. "You?"

"You already know that."

Amber frowned, shaking her head; That wasn't what she meant. Her expression worsened after checking the title, not being able to read the foreign language. Setting the book down, she moved to look through the others in hopes of recognizing them. She took heed in being careful with the fragile things, picking up one that held maps of the continents. Again she gestured, opening the pages to reveal a map dotted with marker stains.

The man perked, getting what she was trying to say. She nodded a few times to emphasize it. "You want to know where I've been."

"How long?" Amber asked, staring behind the curtain of hair. He didn't look all that old, probably mid twenties at the latest, but everything he did had the air of someone on the road for years. That heavily clashed with some of his habits and attire, stuff she noticed even with the little amount of time spent traveling with him. She added just as the man was about to reach for his books, "...Where?"

"That would take a long time to answer." She tilted her head at his response. It didn't seem like he was stalling, Alex was genuinely thinking on how to explain it to her. He set his food down and continued. "I've been on the road for about two years, traveling the four continents and stopping at a new village every time. I've been to Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, old Mantle, and even Menagerie. It's a hard place to get in."

He'd been to Menagerie? Seriously? She always heard it was inhospitable even for the people living there. Most of the land was nothing but desert, with dangerous wildlife crawling everywhere, before the Grimm even. There had been more newly discovered Grimm species as well as different variations of the normal kinds found there than anywhere else. A sand form of Deathstalkers, Vulture looking Nevermores covered with more bone than feathers, and even spotted King Taiju that hid under the sands! And those were just the documented specimens, who knew what else called that land home?

 _Sounds fun to me!_

 _Yes, Lancer! A perfect place to tame the wilds!  
_

Not to mention the dangerous seas that forced ships to sail during the calmer seasons thanks to the turbulent weathers. Typhoons were yearly events, coupled with a wind-shearing rainstorm nearly every week! It wasn't even mentioning the lack of farmland for food or space to house people. No one else wanted the land before the Faunus Rebellions, for good reason.

 _I have great hopes a dependable leader is among them.  
_  
Then there was the White Fang. They might not be headquartered there anymore, but the majority of their manpower had a presence on the 'homeland' of Faunuskind.

 _Faunus… Twas another mention of that word. What is… Faunus? How did they come to be?_

She didn't have an answer to that… they were just there. She ignored the subject, it wasn't worth getting off topic and she asked, "What's…. Menagerie like?"

"Not much different than the Four Kingdoms or their territories. They make do with what's around them, hardly ever throwing anything away. A lot of their citizens used their knowledge from their old lands' methods of handling themselves for their own home. One example is inheriting architecture techniques from Mistral, while using designs from Vale where they function. They have to rely on the seas for food, but they're slowing getting there with constructing greenhouses. If you look around the towns there, its like someone threw architecture and people from all over the world into a blender."

There was something off about his words. He wasn't lying, Amber knew this for certain. There was just something wrong when he said it. Something was missing.

He was hiding something.

Amber raised an unseen brow; travelers normally kept to their preferred routes, usually not to head for the unknown. Small scale merchants would keep to their prospects and travel with cargo, guarding their wares from man and beast alike. Huntsmen go wherever they were needed, but most if not all, stuck to something like the outer territories. Even she had a reason to travel at the beginning, and this tale sounded like her that he was just wandering, aimlessly. Why just travel all the way to Menagerie and the rest of the world for no reason at all? In fact, in a time where Grimm always lurked around every corner, people were traveling less often than ever.

She had to ask, "For?"

"Would you believe me if I said it was for the adventure?" Alex said with a weak smile, understanding what she was getting at.

Internally many egos snickered or were unfazed at his response, as she shook her head. No way, there had to be more than that. It earned a chuckle from the man as he held a fist to cover it.

She frowned at him. "Not normal."

Alex froze just as he was about to take a scoop from his bowl, but he recovered very quickly. The man smiled in response. "If I had to give you a reason, I guess it's about improvement."

She tilted her head in response, brow raised. What did that mean?

"So, what about you? How did a young lady like yourself end up in Mountain Glenn?" Alex immediately changed the subject. "Didn't have a single thing on you aside from your sword, and you evidently were in poor shape. Why were you there?"

She jumped in her seat, looking up at him before gesturing.

"In fact, I'm curious to know why Tyrian Callows was after you." he probed as he doled out a second helping. He was calm and methodical, unlike her pensive squirming.

Ahh, now the tables turned on her. This time, she was really glad that she was synced with Berserker, giving her a perfect excuse to not talk. All she could do was to wave her arms around until the man sighed at her.

* * *

Thankfully Alex didn't prod any further, and in return she didn't try to dig up on what he was doing. She probably had ideas on how to approach this matter, but that was when she forgot to add the title of Magi on him. The woman shrugged after a few moments and just took in the scene.

They've been on the road for since breakfast, and she still had yet to see a wink of the village. The bright sunshine peered across one of the nearby hilltops, making the pine forest to her right vibrant with morning dew sparkling in her eyes. If this was the outskirts, then what was Domremy supposed to be? Trails of chimney smoke were nowhere to be found, and the sight of pastures were replaced by unwelcoming woodlands. Amber suspected they were lost.

"Where?" She asked, needing to know if they were on the right track. Her pack weighed heavily on her, the sword's strap especially digging into her shoulder.

"Don't worry, The road snakes around this hill. We'll see it soon." he announced from a couple paces in front of her, toting an even greater burden with zero sign of strain.

From his words, she guessed it'd take an hour at their pace. While the current silence was welcome, Amber couldn't help but have some curiosity. That, and it was a bit awkward constantly glancing at his back to check his attitude and habits.

While Alex was probably skilled in the deception act, spotting changes in body language was easy for her now, thanks to the egos in her mind. Right now he looked worn despite his brisk pace; Whatever it was ate at him since their departure back at Hollyhock, the look starting after he checked their traveling progress. So far he did a good job of hiding his thoughts, but she could see his concern as clear as the sun.

 _Was it about us_ , she wondered. Galahad nodded in her mind, the picture of many other egos thinking about it following just as the pair crossed a wooden bridge over a narrow river. Hearing the sloshing waves under the wooden surface, she decided now would be good to get him to think about something else.

"Who are…. Arcs?" Amber suddenly asked, allowing her companion to perk up. He slowed to her side, raising a brow at her before smiling.

The look of suspicion went away just as he met her gaze rather than glance the surrounding area. "Historically, The Arcs were once a minor noble family comprised primarily of knights under the King of Vale."

Galahad visibly perked up at Alex's words. The man started upbeat and continued on in that fashion.

"Before the Kingdoms moved to a council based administration, Vale was held under the King's rule for around three hundred years or so until the advent of the Great War. Regardless of the supposed event that started the war, it was then that during the war the Arc family gained its fame." he practically beamed while he spoke.

"Did what?" Amber asked.

Alex grinned in delight. "They were the first to advance the front-lines towards the east coasts of Sanus, starting at the heart of Vacuo's main city. Didn't take long for the Arcs to become vanguards who went in before the rest of the armies, securing bases and patrolling for Grimm when they appeared to watch the battles. The most pivotal battle the Arcs partook in was with the forces of Mistral and Mantle, which lasted a single month. There, a small army of two thousand Valiens outlasted and defeated an opposing force four times its size, having neither reinforcements or rations thanks to a naval blockade at the between seas of Vacuo and Vale."

Alex took a breath before he continued with an excited expression, hands waving a bit to explain the intricacies of the war.

"The eastern deserts was where the rest of the war took place. The sand plains held many secrets that only few knew, which turned the fighting into a war of attrition. At least until Vacuo finally decided to open its gates to aid Vale." he shook his head in cheer. "When Vale's King personally arrived to disrupt the forces of Mantle from taking Vacuo's Dust mines, his royal guards were comprised primarily of Arc blood. It was said that no arrow or bullet reached a hundred meters of the king when an Arc was at his side."

Amber had to restrain in nodding with Galahad's expression of respect and admiration. That however was the start of Alex becoming somber.

"This was also the war that lead to the Arc family's fall into obscurity." his voice dropped in tone, along with his smile.

She had to tilt her head with the support of Galahad and now Lancer's look of surprise. "Why?"

Alex chuckled wryly. "Of course, many people don't realize a lot of Arcs didn't come back from the War. Since they as a family opted out of having their Auras unlocked."

"Dangerous." Amber said. Not everyone chose to activate their Auras, but very few hunters went without. When she tried imagining fighting Tyrian Auraless, Lancer shut down the thought for her own sake.

"An old bygone tradition." Alex sighed. "Anyways, then came the fall of the Arcs. I did say the Arcs were a minor noble family. Since the advent of the council ruling system however, nobility and royalty became obsolete. The King himself became nothing more than a symbol of days gone by. These days, the royal family no longer exists. This also applied to the old nobility of Vale and the rest of the Four Kingdoms."

Her reverie was shattered by an explosion, rocketing them both out of their chat. The echo of a second one appeared just as Amber's gaze landed on a fireball rising above the trees, shaped as a Bullhead spinning in the air. Already streaming fire from the hatch and engines, the craft was struck by a tiny object which blossomed into a fresh boom. Debris pattered off the trees, a couple even kicking up puffs of dirt disturbingly close to where she watched awestruck.

The red embroidered mantle was thrown to the growing wind, Alex's sudden sprint with Aura infused legs leading him to assumed crash zone. Amber quickly gave chase after him, with a cracked imprint of her heels digging into the dirt being the only sign of her passage.

Clearing a tree, she jerked to a halt by his side to gape. What greeted them was a scene coming from the Atlas military show reels: the Bullhead belly flopped off the ground and landed once on the spine, cracked in half from the middle to create an uneven triangle. Fires streamed from the totaled engines, slowly whirring to a stop. The duo glanced to each other, and nodded.

Alex rushed to the front of the machine without any hesitation. She stayed back a couple paces, at least a few meters to the side as Alex pulled out his sword; a faint hum rang from the blade, the edges turning a slight red. With a few careful swipes the metallic glass cockpit landed with a thud a body's length from her. The sounds of mechanical servos hitching together followed the sight of a box he yanked from the cockpit, the object unfolding then flattening out into a table, hooks lodging into the metal edge just outside the Bullhead to steady itself. Despite the fires licking dangerously close, he reached inside and dragged a limp form out.

The sight that met Amber's eyes was the pilot landing on the flattened metal, just as the words 'Bullhead-EM2286' appeared on a small display to the side, revealing his prize to be a first aid station. Helpless to act, Amber watched the Magi check the pilot (a young man in an Atlas uniform) over for injuries. With a nod, Alex quickly attached an IV and monitor device connected to the stretcher. The pilot was still awake surprisingly, thanks to a healthy gauge of Aura. It didn't stop him from stifling a cry of pain when he tried to move.

"Grimm will be attracted to the crash. Could you-"

She nodded before he finished. In a swift move her blade was drawn and she took a position within a short distance from the destroyed vehicle.

"I'm going to shut off the fuel. Hopefully this thing won't explode." Alex explained to the pilot just as the passenger hatch swung open. The pilot tried to voice his warning through a broken jaw, but was stopped by a hand resting on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I know my way around."

Alex disappeared in the Bullhead's yawning hatch, and the pilot struggle to speak came out as pained groaning. Amber tore her eyes off them when she heard howls of Grimm, jerking to the sound's general direction. Like clockwork, the first were a group of beowolves with an alpha leading the pack.

 _This… This is going to be fun!_ Lancer said in her mind, knuckles cracking.

 _They look to be fast, but weak. Use the lessons I taught you and focus on strength._

 _Fight defensively, Master. You have an innocent to protect._

Amber nodded, followed by an audible growl from Berserker in her lips. Glowing red eyes raced in circles as they moved in a hypnotic dance before they struck.

 _Side step right, left arm down and swing!_ Rider's command didn't need to calm her, as if it were routine in her movements. While her body didn't remember the specific actions, her brain did when she recalled those same movements fighting the gigantic man. In a few seconds, a trio of Grimm were bisected thanks to the sheer length of the weapon in her hands. She came to a halt at the same time as they collapsed into ash.

Her sword stopped mid flight by her strength, and with a quick step to bring herself closer to the blade, she turned the facing to her back before striking again in a wide motion. The best way to handle packs is to control the distance, and here it was proven true; A few more Grimm were killed off as easily as practice.

The alpha proved to be more capable, yet it fell as easily as the rest with a stab from her blade. Breathing slowly, Amber set her weapon down with the tip sinking into the ground.

 _Good work, Master._

 _Uuun!  
_

 _These are Grimm?_ Lancer asked in disappointment. _Sure they got numbers on em, but that's all I see. I could handle that back there even when I was a kid!  
_  
As if on cue, another pack of Beowolves appeared, this time without preamble they lunged at her. A sight of another group of Grimm advanced the moment she finished side-stepping, charging with a total absence of fear.

 _Boars….. I'm remembering something unpleasant._

 _Is that a giant scorpion? Heh~ Maybe that'll be worth more of a challenge_

 _Grrrr  
_

Amber rolled her eyes at all the souls, even to the point of letting the growl come out in hopes to intimidate the Grimm. Something along the lines of the older they were, the more intelligent they became. Maybe that intelligence would have them cut their losses and run off.

Sadly it wasn't the case. Only the Alpha reacted to her challenge, via a snarl of its own.

 _Oyy! Switch grips, stab back and vault with it!_

Amber did just that per Lancer's instructions, a momentary clear view of the battle leading her to an idea. With a twist of her wrist, she pulled her blade up with her body before putting her weight into a fist, punching the Deathstalker. It's stinger scrapped across her blade until it was lopped off without a roar, Amber crashing her weapon into head.

Her ears twitched at a change in the wind. She raised her weapon arm to impale a Boarbatusk, using it's dissolving corpse as a projectile on a few Grimm of its size. Just then, the sounds of fluttering wings revealed a uncommon sight in Vale.

"...Manticore."

These things were usually found around Atlas. She didn't know if Grimm had something like migrating seasons, but the colder climate up in northern Sanus could attest to Manticores. Either way, this was bad news. She and Berserker growled at the enemy before them.

 _I recognize them. Manticore you said?_

 _I as well, Shielder. I recall fighting something like this during my campaigns._

 _Heeeh~  
_

Lancer's hope was dashed yet again; a black spot in the distance gradually sharpened into the blurry image of a woman raising her foot up. With an explosive axe kick, the Manticore crash landed to the ground on all fours, just a bit away from her dispatching another Alpha Beowolf.

Landing on top of the beast, Amber was surprised to find out the attacker was a blonde woman, clad in a Mistralian combat robe with a traditional cloth belt that left a slit to the side of her legs. Her fist glowed into a fiery haze, just before landing on the Grimm's spine.

The ground shook in the beast's death throes, one that would normally take full teams of Huntsmen to kill. Though she didn't finish it off, leaving the Manticore to weakly squirm in clear agony. Amber realized the Grimm surrounding her looked between each other, before backing off for one reason or another. That was until an intricate spear pierced through their exposed backs, revealing a second blonde with a similar robed attire.

A few souls whistled in appreciation.

 _Nice movement. They're experienced!  
_  
"Sister, I don't recall them having backup." The spearwoman uttered.

The 'sister' scoffed. "Nah, Probably reinforcements who laid low."

"I don't think we should bite off more we can chew. What if we're wrong?"

 _Indeed. I agree with this woman. I'd be best if we keep the situation from escalating._

 _How do we do that eh? They're the ones pickin a fight.  
_

"Don't worry" The first waved her off with clawed gauntlets, smirking at Amber. "Probably dumb as bricks. Did they even know who they were pissing off?"

Oh she did _NOT_ like barb, and neither did Berserker. Amber stabbed her blade on the ground with a bit of gravitas, growled lowly with the help of her fused ego. The woman cracked her neck with a frown, eyes glinting with a bit of excitement.

"Better knock that off, or else I'll do it for ya." she challenged with a wide smirk.

 _Overconfidence, really._

 _Well justified by their abilities.  
_

"I really don't think we should do this. The others will be here soon so we can-" Just as the spear holder started, her feet moving slowly in case of a reaction. The other woman cut her off while the first trod to Amber's left. With a silent look at each other, both women took a step forward, with their bodies perpendicular to her.

"We're looking for something. And the guys in there has em." the fist fighter snapped rudely. "Can ya even see through those curtains of yours?"

 _All it needs is some treatment and it'll look wonderful. But I'd guess that wedge cut of hers is all she has in hair knowledge. But she is… pretty._

 _Hehehehe~ Who knows what these girls are after. By the looks of it, they're the ones who blew up this Bullhead. Am I right Master?_

 _Regardless of the situation, we don't know the context of this event! I recommend we find common ground.  
_

"Now if you ain't letting us by, well..."her fist crashed into the head of the Manticore and tore it free from the neck, tossing the dissolving mass to land with a dull thud over by a tree. Amber frowned at her silent threat. "You get the idea."

 _Common ground is they want to bother the people inside the Bullhead. We don't want anyone to bother Alex yeah? So they stay and wait, or move on along._

 _They could just be scavengers._

 _Do they look like Scavengers to you?  
_

"Please, sis." The other sister's hands waved up to show less aggression, but Amber was perceptive enough to see the truth; the woman set her spear's dial a bit, turned to reveal a new dust crystal connecting to it's blade. Preparation if anything went south no doubt. "My name's Cassia. How about we all just-"

 _Whom is to say Shielder? Tis not uncommon to see wolves in sheep's clothing._

 _Archer's right ya know!? A scammer hiding under the smile of a businessman. A killer under the name of a respected baker. Thieves with a taste of the finer arts. Like that Roman fella! He's not your typical thief!_

 _Caster, stop making sense!_

 _I'm bored, and everyone walking around in circles aren't gonna get us anywhere._

 _Unnn…  
_

 _There are innocents, and if they aren't innocents, they're unarmed and unprepared to face these women on fair grounds._

 _So how bout this: we don't make the first move. If a fight starts, we end it._

 _We can deliberate this out, Lancer. There are wounded! At least we take the fight away from collateral damage._

 _That's what he means, Shielder.  
_

"Grrrrr." The two sisters visibly tensed at her growl. Amber's head played back and forth, a dull ache growing large enough to make her annoyed at the pain.

 _Which the best course of action is no action on both sides. We simply need to wait for people from Domremy to appear. The smoke coming from the fire is a clear sign of danger and the explosion would have created a cause of concern. If they attack, we should and will defend ourselves and those under our charge._

 _What? You think I'm so callous to kill these girls in a fight? I don't kill women._

 _What did you imply, Lancer?  
_

 _Just a code I had when alive. Won't kill if I don't have to._

 _Unnn, unnnnn. Ugh!  
_

"RAH!" Berserker roared through her lips instinctively the moment the women nudged themselves a few steps closer.

Despite all the noise in her head, Amber bent a knee up before stomping on the ground with her metal heel. Berserker's added strength and her own conscious thought of letting loose caused the ground around her to crack. A crater formed for at least five meters out, pieces of dirt and rock upturned into slight spikes outwards, while she held her blade in one hand. A twist turned the sharp edge towards the duo.

"Don't..." she gritted out, teeth bared. "Come."

In an instant, gauntlet wielder lunged towards her. Claws glowed red and metal met dust when she pulled back to block, the clash of metal ringing out like a loud bell. Amber tilted her head on it's side to dodge an incoming kick from an equally intricate set of heeled boots, taking a hand off her sword to snatch the limb.

 _Drop the sword, spin and throw!  
_  
The woman flew across field and tumbled back on the ground. Just as her feet touched the surface, a shimmer of golden aura surrounded her frame, and the foliage behind her burst into crackling debris.

 _Upper E in Agility._

 _This is what I'm talking about!  
_

Lancer's excited howl was accompanied with the flawless thrusts from Cassia, the spear user. With the two women on opposite sides, Amber twisted her frame with barely an inch of free space, Berserker roaring in tandem to the breaking ground beneath her.

 _Hahahaha!  
_  
In a practiced motion, Amber set herself to a hand to hand stance taught by Rider, parrying a glowing claw. She allowed Lancer to force his way into 'guiding' her leg up, locking the spear on the ground, and gave Cassia a triple kick, ending with a swinging roundhouse.

Mechanical gears whirred, the spear forcing itself short to cause Amber to fumble.

 _Roll side, then back! Use your center of gravity to get back on your feet._

Archer's crisp bark had the girl following without question. Rider's nudge to kick at her sword caused it to spin in the air, before she caught it to block a slash to her midsection.

 _Twist! Kick the blade!_

Cassia jumped back, narrowly avoiding a messy bisection. The sword's size was both a blessing and a curse (even if it's weight was light to her) as Amber had to let go of the blade from a swipe of claws. Just as it flew into the air, she traded blows with the martial artist. Berserker hissed when the claws grated on her skin, sparks flying on contact as if her Aura was made of steel. A right hand locked the woman's own in place, but instead of hitting her in the chest, she was the one that got knocked back thanks to a sudden and very powerful kick. The fading glow surrounding the woman's frame was all that she was able to catch a glimpse of.

Amber felt a tree or two hit her back, the sounds of crashing trunks reverberated in her ears followed by bird cries and a yell, "What's going on out there?!"

"Grrrrah!" with Berserker's quick thinking, Amber lifted the fallen tree with an arm and swung it wide.

"Wha-" The charging gauntlet user smashed herself into her tree, swatting her into a couple more shattering trunks. Amber charged to tackle the second sister, but instead of making contact a glow came off Cassia's spear, an intense white light nearly blinding her before the woman swung. An energy blade burst forth at the edges of the spear, cutting though both her trees like paper before the sound of a dial chimed. A blue light swiftly appeared, creating a miniature pool of water that swirled into a micro tornado.

 _I want that.  
_  
Amber dodged the incoming torrents of water, only to greet the shimmering form of the martial artist. The woman locked her hand in a steel grip, before landing a few earth pounding strikes on her body. With a spinning throw, the woman flung her away from the spear user.

 _Mid D in Agility._

"Trident Harpoon." she barked while bringing her fists up.

Cassia nodded. "Gotcha, Anise"

Spiderwebbed cracks formed on the dirt, and Anise, now that she got a name for the fist fighter, dashed towards her in the blink of an eye. With no time to grab her weapon, Amber gritted her teeth when she blocked a string of attacks, somehow more powerful than before. Bones creaked and joints locked as they traded blows. The ground beneath their feet reverberated throughout the area, wind crackling like explosive rounds right by their ears.

The sight of Cassia's spear caught Amber's eye, glinting yellowish-gold off to her side. The tip of the spear opened up to show three separate prongs, each shining with deadly promise. Gritting her teeth, the woman levitated just a few inches off the ground as lightning crackled around her. Yet Anise managed to trip her via a glowing Dust infused kick, darting away in an instant to avoid a comeback. The next thing Amber saw was a bright light that quickly and steadily reached for her.

"Amber!" Alex appeared to her side with ragged breath, the pendulum on his left wrist spinning in a circle. The smell of Dust lingered in her nose just as a glowing barrier covered both their forms.

The attack split apart on impact with Alex's shield. Dirt and rubble shattered from residual impacts of Cassia's attack, stripping away the topsoil from the backlash alone. Nearby trees split in two as if lightning struck them, fires sprouting to life to reach for anything to burn, until they were blown out from the following gale force wind gusts.

An strong but elderly voice called out through the destruction, "What're you two doing?!"

In seconds the light died off, revealing the image of an elderly man with fading blonde hair swept back swiftly matching towards the conflagration. A trimmed beard covered his stern and reprimanding face as his bright blue eyes glinted. Despite his age, the man was well in shape, wearing a fully black set of armor, and a blue and white furred cape. The moment he stopped a couple body's length away, the blonde fighters immediately stopped to gawk at his presence.

 _He reminds me a bit of an older blonde Agravain.  
_  
"Cassia! Anise!" he barked in a mixture of surprise and anger, sounding so much like an angry parent.

" _Gramps_!" the girls chorused, immediately shrinking back with their weapons lowered. If not for the lingering glows (and the trashed area around them), Amber would hardly have known they were fighting.

Without warning the glowing barrier vanished with a pop and Alex staggering forward a pace wearing an expression of raw surprise.

"Ciaran?! Ciaran Arc?!"

 _He even pronounced it right!  
_  
The old man snapped his head to the Magi. "Alex! That you?"

.

.

.

* * *

.

.

.

"Hahahahahahaha!" The old man laughed boisterously, a hand smacking the wheel of an old Dust powered truck they were riding in. She and Alex shared the back seat, while one of the girls watched the wounded pilot in the bed of the truck. The other huffed with her arms crossed at the front passenger seat. How they transitioned from fighting to getting free transportation was something Amber was still trying to figure out.

 _Eh, I'll take it._

But must we ride in this old trash heap? A woman of my stature deserves no less than a formal carriage, this...thing is an affront to any dignified noble.

Shaking his head again, Ciaran glanced over his shoulder. "Boy, what a misunderstanding, ehh?"

Alex put on a wry smile. "You do understand we could have died, Ciaran."

"I don't believe that for a second." The girl in the front seat growled out. The old man driving sent her a frown, and the girl lowered herself deeper in her seat.

"Girls, let bygones be bygones." he said simply. His tone shifted to that of a teacher lecturing a squabbling pupil.

Alex nodded and leaned in a little to speak. He hoped it would help in them giving them a chance. "It was a misunderstanding. I apologize on behalf of Amber."

"Tch. Whatever." the first girl dismissed, crossing her arms to hunch poutingly.

The other sister from the back called out through the open window. "C'mon sis!"

"We restrained ourselves!" Anise snapped over her shoulder. "It not like she'd go down from a hit like that or anything."

Ciaran sighed; at least it was something, Amber wagered. Better than yet another foe she needed to ki-face, she mentally insisted. There was no way she was going to take their lives over something this petty, no matter what her new instincts compelled her to do.

The ride took a few hours through uneven paths, with the suspension of the truck bouncing up and down from the frequent potholes. She knew she'd feel that when they'd get out. Fortunately after another bend or two, the village he Domremy appeared in her eyes. A few souls whistled in appreciation. She agreed.

The first thing to stand out was the extremely intricate and expansive port covering the majority of the coast. Wooden ships the size of military airships were docked by the many enormous piers as a massive bell tolled for something of importance. Although they obviously were some distance from the bell, the chimes were still amazingly loud over the truck's engine. The second was now clear over what everything was made of.

The walls were the only thing made out of stone and metal, as if it were from chiseled rock, which probably stood there for hundreds of years and held a silent vigil around a village filled with wooden houses and villas. Smoke stacks rose up into the sky to show how many families lived here, contrasted to the various man made rivers going in and out of the village, like another set of roads aside from the ones laid with brick.

And that was all that she saw from her viewpoint, thanks to Archer's eyes. This wasn't even mentioning how many herds of cattle, the farms of vegetables and wheat covering the land, all of it patrolled by conservatively armored guards. Some looked like huntsmen and huntresses to her eye.

"Alright, home sweet home." The girl in the back announced, driving past the gates of the village and closed in to a wide three story house. She assumed this was their destination, which was confirmed when the truck lurched to a stop?

As they all got off the vehicle, another car prowled up with an emblem of Vale. Two men exited to dart towards the truck's bed, swiftly picking up the wounded pilot from earlier with a blend of haste and care, and slowly carried him into the bed of the emergency vehicle.

"Get him to a medical center would you?" the blonde beside him called out, tracking the old man as he strode towards the back. Both paramedics sent him a look, but he didn't try to interfere with their work.

The pilot groaned while he was manhandled onto a gurney. "Oh man. That hurts."

"Are you alright my boy? I'm sorry for the event that you had to experience." Contrary to what Ciaran expected, the pilot looked at him angrily.

"My bullhead's gone! I spent my entire savings on that!" the pilot wailed. Tears formed as they ran down his face. "I just got my pilot's license too…."

The old man smiled at him sadly. "I'm sorry, We were looking for a thief who stole various sensitive materials from the Council Huntsman. We traced the man's lien trail to you."

The wounded man scoffed. "Well sad to say, but he paid for a trip to Vale but never showed up. My bullhead had a shipment of construction tools and mail. Not even a suitcase or whatever it was you'd be looking for."

"I know. We found it at the edge of town by the gates. It was empty and the perpetrator vanished." Ciaran reported.

The pilot spat, mockingly. "Wonderful."

"The Arc family will compensate you. We'll get you a new bullhead." he offered instead. The two men finished tending to the pilot, one staying to hop in beside the man, while the other returned to the cab.

"Yeah, and what am I gonna do then?!" The man hissed from all the muscle ache and bruises. "I'm not gonna get any work after that fiasco."

"Could be worse." the old man shrugged.

"Tch. Look, I should be glad I'm alive. So thanks." The young man admitted, clicking his tongue. "But what am I gonna do now when no ones gonna give me any work? The news is probably spreading on the grapevine to the other settlements by now. _Peter crashed on his first official flight! Wasn't even Grimm or a bunch of bandits, and Peter got himself into a criminal muck on his first day! He might be transporting drugs for the Wild Bears or weapons for the White Fang!_ "

"That _**won't** _happen!" Ciaran unexpectedly snapped.

"Che. Yeah right. You might be the Mayor or whatever the Council says you are, but you aren't the Lord anymore. You can't just fix everything with the snap of yer fingers and say, 'all wells that ends well'. This ain't the King's reign; It's Atlas and the Academies!" At the sight of everyone going deathly silent with the old man with a sad expression, Peter quickly looked remorseful after realizing what he said. "S-Sorry… I didn't mean it like that."

Ciaran shook his head as Peter was attached to some medical equipment and a new IV bag. "I understand, my boy. You had your whole life ahead of you."

The man sighed, turning back to Amber and Alex, standing side by side with worry. They weren't the only ones; a group of people came out from the house because of all the commotion. Ciaran smiled, "Now enough of that."

The paramedic promptly waved them off, leaving him to tend to the man's injuries. With that done, the old man waved for the duo to follow him towards the group, while the two blondes left the truck to join them.

"Let me introduce you." the old man walked over to the oldest pair in the group. "This is my son, Veilantif Arc, and Myra, my daughter in law."

The woman was very pretty in Amber's opinion; quite tall at six feet, with platinum blonde hair in a layered hairstyle. She wore a jacket and corset combo with tight fitting pants and heeled boots. The man however...

 _He looks a bit like Bedivere…. Now that is a weird picture to think about._

"These are all going to be twins now." Myra informed her as the old man, Ciaran nodded alongside a gesture to the next pair of blondes.

"Cassia and Anise. You've already met them."

The two girls she fought stood next to each other, each one acting completely different from the other.

"Pleased to meet you." Cassia waved with a smile, exuding friendliness.

Anise put a hand on her hip, a smirk grew as she spoke. "Yo. Yer the folk Gramps was waiting for eh? Too bad ya came along for nothing."

"Ariele and Evony." Ciaran went on as if nothing happened.

This next pair was weird, if Amber had to put a word to them. Sure the others were a bit quirky, but this?

"Yar! The captain of the Sea Wolf tips her hat to you landlubbers!" Ariele wore a one piece dark blue and black jumpsuit normally seen with engineers under a short grey and white mistralian robe. A brown leather trench coat was the final layer which contrasted with her bright messy hair. She didn't look like she had a weapon on her person but the girl had a wide smile instead.

The twin called Evony groaned tiredly. "Please sis, speak normally. They're not tourists."

This girl evidently preferred something a lot more heavier and armored. Especially when her outfit looked like some science expo armor. A really tight bodysuit covered from the neck down with white segmented pieces of armor lined her limbs. Latched onto her shoulder plate was a bright navy scarf or cape, and golden ribbons wrapped around a few places to give the whole ensemble color. She looked tired for whatever was going to happen later.

Nodding, Ciaran went on. Internally Amber wondered why he was going through all this trouble, though she reasoned it was to make up for the poor first introduction. "Stella and Lucine."

The youngest pair looked as if they didn't want to be there. The leftmost one in particular; despite having a blocky case with the barrel of a rifle or something poking out from her back, she held a portable game console in her hands instead. She wore lighter armor than her older sisters: knee pads over skintight pants, with heeled boots to her thighs dotted with segmented armor, pauldrons on top of a sleeveless Mistralian robe, followed by separated arm sleeves with various armor padding in certain areas.

"Yeah, How's it going?" Stella asked distantly, her eyes glued to the screen of whatever game she was playing. At least until she registered the shadow of a weapon looming over the girl, turning up to gawk at Amber's blade. " _Woah_ , that's a _big_ sword you got there."

The other, Lucine, likewise wore a Mistralian robe, but hers possessed long sleeves without an ounce of armor on her aside from a pair of long black socks followed by heeled greaves. A sheathed katana was by her side with the blade never under a belt but in her hand; Her mouth opened with an 'ahh'.

She bowed slowly in greeting. "Hello."

"So… many..." Amber turned to face yet another pair of women, one looking very surprised while holding a baby in her arms. The one beside her looked a lot like another Arc, so she could hazard some kind of guess.

"And that is Saffron and her wife, Terra." Ciaran finished, unmistakable pride in his tone.

Terra had a growing look on horror on her face while the wife started to smirk. "I know I met you all one by one but now? All of you in one place….Please tell me that's everyone."

"You haven't met the cousins yet." the wife's response earned a playful smack on her shoulder and a groan of despair. Alex figured it was a good time to stop everyone from rushing up to give the newcomers a hug, coughing into his fist to get attention.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." he bowed in a Mantlese fashion, before gesturing to her for an introduction. "My name is Iskandar Waver Velvet, and this is my companion-"

"Amber." she said quickly, mustering a nervous smile in greeting.

"And this… is Adrian" Terra smiled back, raising her hands to show them the baby. Everyone started to crowd around the women to get a good look, Amber included; his cheeks and head were rubbed while a lot of them cooed at his reactions. Galahad smiled in her mind just as Archer aw'd.

"Oh he's so cute!"

"It was a full term wasn't it?"

"Atlas technology is amazing nowadays. I'm so proud."

Amber didn't join them, contenting herself with watching from the back row. Even so, she let out a soft "Aw." at the adorable child.

From the back, Alex sighed regretfully. He reached for Ciaran, confusion showing on his face.

"I'm sorry if I spoil the mood, but where's the boy?" The collective blank looks which swiveled to him made Alex groan, pinching his nose. "I've been told I'm supposed to evaluate him? A Jaune Arc?"

"Hey, wait wait. Did you say Jaune Arc?" The paramedics hadn't left yet, with Peter waving his free hand to get everyone's attention, hopping off to approach the group despite the doctor's protest. His odd move earned a raised brow from the father, Veilantif.

"You know him?" he stepped forward to face him, waving down Ciaran.

"I'm Peter Gale." he introduced, his face growing aggravated at the older man's blank stare. "You know, I played with Jaune when we were younger?"

"Your father used to work the post office." one of the Arc girls said, connecting whatever dots there were. Amber wasn't sure who the speaker was, having not memorized all their names yet.

Peter nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yeah. Anyways, A week ago, Jaune found me when I just bought the Bullhead. He asked for a favor and I gave him a lift."

"Where?" The heavily armored sister rushed forward with a glare, followed by Anise cracking her knuckles. Myra grabbed them both by their collars to roughly tug, giving the wounded man some space.

"One full trip, no stops. He said he was going to Beacon. The guy barely kept his dinner in that stomach of his." he tried a tittering laugh, which died as quickly as it formed under Veilantif's strict gaze.

Every one of the Arcs calmed down after the pilot explanation, their worry swiftly replaced by quiet cursing. Anise scowled with a fist shaken to the sky. "That kid! Ooooh when I get my hands on him!"

"Thank you Peter. We've been worried about him for some time now. Cassia and Anise scoured the wilds, and Saffron looked around Argos to see if he took a boat to Atlas." The Arc father thanked the young man with a smile. Nodded stiffly, the young pilot was gently dragged back to the truck to get stuffed inside, and with a slammed door the car drove out into the village roads.

After a moment of silence, Alex cleared his throat.

"Does this mean I will not be his teacher? You went through a lot of hoops to find me, Ciaran." he turned towards the grandfather.

The elderly man in question pointed back at him with an accusatory finger. "And you were just going to send a courier with those things to me instead of coming in person if I hadn't asked for you!"

"Who or what are these people anyway dad?" Veilantif stepped forward, planting a gauntlet on his hip.

Ciaran snapped his finger. "Veil! I've been meaning to get you up to speed! I'd been searching for this guy ever since I heard of them by way of _my own_ grandfather. I'd just about given up until he sent a letter about these." The man continued with gestured to the wrapped up bundles in Alex's possession.

After a few minutes to getting to know everyone personally, Amber was given the chance to hold the baby Adrian. The boy was really calm and mature for a baby; laughing and responding to things children his age wouldn't. But to remind her that he was still a baby, Adrian kept a hand on her a lock of her hair, pulling a few times.

She wasn't bothered while all the other Arc girls winced every time he pulled. Thankfully, the souls enhancements on her covered the hair part, no matter how hard his remarkably strong grip yanked. After a few long minutes of consistent tugging, Terra thought it'd be best to take Adrian back, apologizing about the baby's rough behavior.

The group followed the Grandfather into the home's den, which was right in front of the two piece dining room and kitchen. Off to the side of the room were glass enclosures on the wall with stands inside of them. She spotted two of them, although one was covered up in cloth. With some help from the elderly man, Alex set down the bundles onto a table and cleared his throat.

"A bit of a history lesson then." he announced.

"Oh goody." Anise muttered, earning a sock to her shoulder from Ariele. "A nerd."

"From the Arc's historical record, only a few survived over the ages. One spoke of a legendary figure that is thought to be the origin of the Arcs, at least on one side of the family." Alex explained, pointedly ignoring the scuffle. "One of these items is confirmed to belong to the Arc family in blood, and another is believed to be by name. The first belonged to a man known as Gaius."

The Arc family oohed in interest when he unwrapped the unassuming protective cloth to reveal two items: an highly ornate red and gold bow, and next to it a grey and black spear. Both were perfectly clean, untarnished with age or battle as if they were fresh from the smithy. Their edges looked as if they could cut just about anything, and the engravings looked like the life's work of a master artisan.

Amber froze at the sight, the souls in her mind exploding in amazement.

 _Noble Phantasms_

Glancing up, Alex flourished towards the weapons. " ** _Rubrem Mors, the Red Bow of Death_** and **_Griseo Mors, the Grey Spear of Command_**. These paired up with **_Crocea Mors_** are the weapons owned by Gaius, your ancestor."

 _…So some lived to even this era…_

"This is presumed to belong to the Arc family. I use the word 'presumed' because there was no records of the original holder ever having children. The most reliable sources only mention a lady by the name of Laeticia. Whom looks nearly if not identical to the original holder of this 'weapon,' although I use that term loosely." he went on.

Alex gingerly unwrapped the next bundle, and this one took everyone's breath away. Ciaran almost had tears in his eyes, wiping an arm across his vision. "Jaune's namesake"

In his hands was something unusually simple: a wood and steel supported flag with a small spear tip at the end. The cloth looked extremely clean, almost freshly woven in fact, possessing a giant fleur-de-lis icon embroidered in the center, and yet despite its appearance, an almost glowing light and warmth radiated from the flag like a fire.

 _Why would a Magi, any Magi let these out of their possession. **Willingly?!**_

Propping to the side to show the family, Alex unexpectedly started to beam. " ** _Luminosité Eternelle_** , the great flag which bore the battle standard of an ancient kingdom, its existence known only by its long forgotten name, France. It is said that _La Pucelle d'Orléans Jeanne d'Arc_ , a great leader of this ancient era lead a nearly defeated army to a victory that saved their kingdom, during what is only known as The Hundred Year War."

"Like the Great War?" Saffron piped up, earning a few glances for the interruption, including from a softly cooing Adrian.

"If even part of this mythology is true, it was worse. Although I've only been paraphrasing." Alex reluctantly admitted. With a spring in his step, he set the flag down and reached over to the covered display case. "Now, to get these relics right next to their siblings. I haven't ever gotten my eyes on the last of the trio."

"Alex-" Ciaran started alarmingly, raising a hand to stop him.

When he pulled the cloth away, the only thing to happen next was a sharp intake of breath. This was the first time Amber had thought the man could hit such a high octave with his voice.

 **"Where's Crocea Mors?!"**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

.

.

.

"Atchoo!" Ruby turned around, watching Pyrrha quickly offer Jaune a handkerchief. She smiled with a bit confusion at the redhead's expression when she pulled him down to her eye level.

"You okay best buddy?" she checked in worry. The guy nodded, sniffing a few times.

They were already in Vale after a long Bullhead ride from the academy. Being the good friend that she was, Ruby patted the guy's back when he was struggling with airsickness. Her sister however sat far away in case he shot another icky bit of puke. Not that she was the only one.

Ruby thought it was kinda weird though, since Pyrrha had been staring at her since she walked into JNPR's dorm room this morning. She just wanted them to go with her to Vale, go hang with her team, see more of Vale. She was even able to get Weiss to leave after all that studying.

"Yeah, Ruby. I think someone might be talking about me." Jaune said after a moment, blowing his nose once more.

Nora dragged her partner closer and waved her hands with a sinister laugh. "More like someone is putting a cuuuuurse on you, Fearless Leader!"

"Where are you taking us anyway?" Weiss interjected, not wanting the ginger to get too into misinterpreting her words. Ruby thought their dynamic was kinda nice; they figured out their differences about their positions as Leader and Co-Leader of team RWBY, and everything was working…. Okay? Better than usual. Much, much better than before.

The Schnee growled and turned her cheek, when Jaune tried to fix his hair to look better. Okay, so there was still progress to be made.

Nevertheless Ruby giggled. "I'm gonna get you uncle Qrow! He the best of the best of ALL the uncles in the world"

"You said he sees the future!" Nora proclaimed while shoving Jaune's head into his lap. She nodded at her in excitement, finally someone that got it! Her Uncle was really the best!

She whipped around with a bounce to her step, pumping her fists. "Yeah! He knew exactly what was gonna happen at initiation and I wanna let you guys meet him!"

"He probably just got lucky, Rubes." Yang said from her back, just finishing inspecting her nails.

She pouted at her sister. "No way! He knew! He knew everything! I'll show you!"

Jerking herself forward, the red huntress focused on her goal: find uncle Qrow. If she were an uncle Qrow where would she be? Well, that answer was obvious. Either a liquor store, a bar, or at Dad's.

But this…. This was a _new_ Uncle Qrow! He said it himself! He was going straight. He's quitting! No more smelly breath and dirty clothes. No more funny slurs wherever she came over for him to teach her fighting moves. No more messy apartment with bottles of stinky drinks laying all over the floor. And best of all, no daytime naps at random times with a bottle in hand. She tilted her head and frowned, where would a new Uncle Qrow be?

Her quest lasted all of three minutes.

"There he is!" she yelled, pointing excitedly. The others followed her gaze to what looked like a shady man who haunted bars.

The man had a weird stance with his head poking from a nearby corner, looking out to a street somewhere. She ignored all the commotion and dashed straight to give him a big hug, staggering him out of his hidey hole and into the street "Uncle Qrow!"

"Woah there, Little Gem. You off from school today?" he asked back once she let go, wincing as he rubbed his side. She nodded up and down at him, and with an unbreakable grip, she tugged her uncle to the new friends she made at Beacon.

"Yep! Initiation was pretty cool and met a bunch of new friends!" she announced, coming to a halt to beam.

He raised a brow with a smirk. "That so?"

Only Yang knew what to expect from him, everybody else was seeing him for the first time; Blake appeared leery at his very presence for some reason, Nora was wide eyed as she roamed her excited gaze all over him, Jaune and Ren both seemed uncomfortable being nearby him, Pyrrha gathered a friendly look amidst her wrinkling nose, and Weiss... looked like he just made a mess on a carpet.

Qrow cleared his throat awkwardly. "Hey firecracker."

"H-hey Uncle Qrow." Yang looked to her sister weirdly, responding with a forced smile. "You look clean. Like, really clean."

"Well, thanks. Was a bit of a fixer upper but I got it done." he chuckled, scratching his neck (and fighting the impulse to check his armpits). Regardless that was definitely true. New clothes, new hairstyle, shaven face. Everything was so different. She pouted when she discovered Harbinger wasn't on him. Where could his treasured weapon be? "Anyways. This your team?"

Ruby jumped, startled by the question. "Yep! Oh oh, Are you psychic Uncle Qrow?"

"Hmm?" The man chuckled at her question, yet looked confused.

She thought she needed to get the point across. Introductions. That's right. This would jog his memory.

"I mean it! You were one hundred percent right!" Ruby pulled Weiss closer, presenting her stiff form to him. "This is Weiss, My partner."

"Pleased to meet you." the girl curtseyed. Boy, she sure did like to keep everything formal. She noted Weiss was fighting a sneeze, with how her entire face was wrinkling.

"She's the Dust Expert" Ruby proclaimed, clapping her on the back.

Qrow's smile slowly turned into a frown. A sense of foreboding appeared over his head.

"Blake, Yang's Partner. The Ninja!" she introduced next, throwing her arms towards the black haired girl

Blake's ribbon twitched (did it really twitch?) as she bowed politely. The girl frowned with a dusting of red on her cheeks. "Hello. And I want to point out I'm not an actual ninja."

"And Yang, but you already know that." she whooped and made everyone pose together. "We make Team RWBY!"

"Ah ahahahaha." he laughed shakily. Hesitantly he pointed at the last four, and she nodded with a wide smile. His face twisted, like he was eating a lemon.

"Team JNPR. Starting with Nora. The Hyperactive Berserker!" she proclaimed.

The ginger rushed up, punching the man in the ribs hard enough to stagger him. "Hey! You master of all birds and teacher to none!"

"Ren. The Martial Artist!" Her words came out really quickly this time, as the black haired guy was already trying to drag Nora away, from asking every question under the sun. Even if Qrow wasn't gaping for breath, there was no way he could keep up with her rapid fire questions.

Unperturbed, Ruby switched to the next girl. "Pyrrha, The Gladiator!"

The other redhead looked startled, as if this was the first time a friend introduced her to family. That was sad, Ruby thought. Maybe they could hang out a lot more often from hereon. "Ahh, um. Nice to meet you."

But now, it was time for the final nail on the coffin. The last few words to cement Uncle Qrow as Prophet! She pulled Jaune's arm so hard that he tripped over his own two feet, landing face first on the concrete. Everyone winced at the uncomfortable wet smack. Thankfully he chuckled as she pulled him up, with only a bruise to show for his pain.

"And guess what? Jaune. The Best Buddy! The Opposite Wielder!"

Uncle Qrow looked like he was gonna have a baby, or a heart attack. Or he was just really happy she made a lot of friends. Maybe all of them?

"Hnnnnng." he staggered; for a second she though he was drunk again, but his raspy breath told her otherwise. From her back came a series of cleared throats at the unseemly display, with Weiss especially putting distance between them.

Now that she got a better look… Where was the holster for Harbinger? Uncle Qrow would never leave home without it. Her eyes narrowed, scanning the man from top to bottom for any misplaced item. His shoulders were a little stiff for sure, and it sounded like he was struggling with breathing a bit earlier.

She always thought it might've been something to do with Withdrawal though. But now….

"Uncle Qrow." she spoke up, watching the man sweat under her gaze.

She smiled ooh so very sweetly, **"What happened to Harbinger?"**

* * *

 **And here we are! I'm going to admit something to you. This fic went through alot of planning phases at the beginning. I'm only taking about this now because I've reached to the spot where you notice there was a hint of a different idea in the works in the past.**

 **See. This fic originally wasn't going to have Amber in it. It was going to be about Jaune. I had thought of a plan where Jaune would be taken in to be taught the ways of a Magus. But this was denied after realizing a few key factors. It would go waaaaay too far away from the setting. For instance if Jaune was gonna go to my confirmed locations for the areas of the Mages Association... well what would happen to RWBY and NPR? Nothing. It would be awkward considering I would need to fill a new J in the JNPR. That and JNPR and RWBY wouldn't get enough screen-time. I mean really, the Mages Association in Remnant when they're actually the LITERAL oldest society?**

 **Psssssssh**

 **Anyways, Thanks for reading and Enjoy the rest of your day.**


	9. Chapter 9

**This took awhile. And for those that are still with me. The next chapter might take longer. I'm experimenting if I should lower my word count to keep pace and lessen the squirreling of story points. Things added will be used later, but I'm debating if they come in too soon or I delve too deeply into it. I'm not sure right now.**

 **But, Enjoy the chapter and I'll see you next time. Hopefully with a chapter that is of higher quality. My hand won't put down what I have in my head on command.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 _"No, no no no no. Nothing but a failure. What did I do wrong?"_

 _She tried, but couldn't speak a word. Grunts and weak growls were all she could do, tightly bound on a cold flat table. Dim lighting emitted a warm yet deceptively inviting glow to the dark room. Chains grated at her ears, while chafing metal strips dug into her wrists and ankles, keeping her from getting up._

 _What really felt odd to her was how she felt throughout all of it. Nothing; her emotions, her sense of personal thought, everything was gone. She didn't feel disturbed by the room or her situation, the man whose face was overshadowed by darkness emitted no response, nothing but disdain from within herself either._

 _"Fiend, an Ogre. An abomination that shouldn't exist." The spark from a whetstone showed her the shine of a blade, a finger gracing the edge to check its sharpness. She could feel the man look at her with fear and disgust. "And I'm going to fix this mistake I made."_

 _She thrashed to say something, anything at all, but her body failed to respond._

" _The disassembly will be quick." His voice came through the gnawing of flesh once his bade bit into one of her arms, but... there was no pain. It looked as if the man held zero guilt or shame for his act, but he just wasn't going to put up with her staring while he cut her open. He subsequently drew a piece of cloth to drape over her face._

 _The sounds of a metal saw or knife dug into her flesh, with the uncomfortable numbness that could only come from a painkiller. The sounds coming off the tools being used felt as if the man didn't care for (or wasn't aware of) any delicacy in his work. Every happened so quickly, especially since she lost any hint of muscle control, and her breathing grew harder and harder to handle. A thunk and a following thick plop hit the ground below her twice, before her consciousness faded._

 _She didn't know how much time passed when half her vision reappeared, revealing soft waves of water from a lake lapping at her face. Mouse sized pricks rippled along the surface of the water, leading her gaze to pieces of body parts drenched in mud. Without knowing it, the pieces moved without any command from her, as if by instinct they crawled along the ground, squirming closer and closer to her._

 _In a blink of an eye she could feel her head on her shoulders again. Kneeling from weakness, she looked up to a nighttime panorama crowned by a moon unbroken and pure, a wide expanse of a vivid starry night. Feeling tore her gaze from the view to the pool of water at her knees._

 _What met her eyes wasn't her own visage, but the face of a mournful Berserker. With tears slowly running down her cheeks, she roared a bestial sound.  
_

* * *

Amber bolted up from the bed with a heavy gasp, feeling the cold sweat rushing down her back. She willed herself to take deep breaths, until the only thing left of the nightmare were slight tremors in her hands.

 _That was..._ She recalled the events she just experienced. Her mind was silent, the other souls choosing not to speak or interrupt this time. Each one was oddly still, or giving off a respectful aura.

 _Uunnn._

 _Berserker. That was..._

The soul nodded in her mind. An image of her appeared, sitting by a tree overlooking the meeting table on the dry waterfall cliff.

 _Your past? How can I..._

 _I'll explain it for ya, Master_

 _Lancer... Alright. Give it to me straight._

Amber mentally said, opening the door of her guest room. A quick march to the nearest bathroom allowed her to wash up, dealing with the cold sweat she unwittingly brought upon. The clock read just barely first light with the Arc family manor, silent from all the noise and commotion from yesterday. In a way she was grateful for the quiet.

 _We figured since our situation wasn't common, it wouldn't happen because there's so many of us. But I guess it ended up stronger than usual. That, and normally we're in that 'mind zone' whenever you sleep._

 _So seeing into Berserker's past is supposed to be normal?_

 _For Masters, yeah,_

Lancer agreed. The soft rushing water ran down her face, trickling droplets into the sink below her just as he continued. _Normally Servants and Masters have a mental connection between 'em, so we can see visions of each other's past as dreams. That means I can see yours and you can see mine. Even if some of us are private or don't want to talk about our pasts, we can't reject the dreams.  
_  
Amber took a deep breath. _So... How did you know about the dream?_

 _That's the... Weird part. Well, more weird than usual. It wasn't just you that saw that vision._

 _We all did. It's as if we as a whole are connected.  
_

 _Tis not surprising. We shared our souls to fill up Master's gaps. Such repercussions are in order._

 _Okay... Okay..._

Amber mumbled to steady herself. Learning something new about her situation was her goal, so no complaining or anything since she asked for all of this. She found Berserker again in her mind once she closed her eyes, and this time the girl stared back at her, waiting. Names appeared in her(?) memory.

 _Eve? T_ he girl violently shook her head at that. A throaty growl was all that hint she gave Amber to never use that name again. _Mary?  
_  
Again, the girl shook her head, denying the name. The man first called her that when she was... born. Amber frowned; there was only one left, and it didn't have anything to do with the girl. Nothing but a piece of the man's last name.

 _Fran?_

The girl nodded this time, pulling her knees up to press against her chest. That was her name. Amber had only seen a fraction of the soul's past, and worried about the next occasion. She sighed. _I will be looking at your histories too, won't I?  
_  
The other souls said nothing, but it was clear this was everything she needed her to know. Maybe the next dream would be as vivid and real as Fran's, maybe not, but she rather doubted that. Things hadn't been that simple for a while.

 _Wait a second... When did Fran get a egg capsule on her belt?  
_  
"Oh my, awake already?"

The voice belonged to Myra Arc, the woman she was introduced to last night, one of many that lived in this temporary abode. Amber blinked in confusion and took a look around, abruptly realizing where she found herself. She didn't even notice where she went to wash up, standing in the middle of the kitchen, a cozy little room that probably had a lot of traffic if being in the middle of the building was any indication.

Myra gestured for her to take a seat at the table, taking a moment to light a few candles dotted around the room, as the windowsill darkened ominously. With a quick glance, Amber saw that the clock read just before first light. The mother figure of the home poured a steaming cup of tea for her and nodded at her guest seating herself, pointing to a nearby room. "The girls are still asleep, and the boys took your friend to the office."

She nodded, taking a sip from the proffered cup. It wasn't long before she heard a clamoring passing through the office door; the muffled roars of Ciaran Arc ( _Keer'awn_ Lancer stressed), the nearly century year old man, easily vibrated through the wood flooring, courtesy of a healthy addition of Aura. Myra giggled just as her husband, Veillantif responded with equal intelligible fervor. She sighed, it must have been quite an event in there. A part of her wondered how often the men were this rowdy, the girl assuming it had to be often if nobody else was wandering about.

The pair took in the silence for a few minutes, both taking measured sips of their drinks. It was an uncomfortable silence, one that left Amber feeling awkward. She didn't know anyone here, and it didn't look like that fact would change anytime soon. It wasn't like she could just introduce herself and start conversing as if they were old friends. Things weren't that simple, they hadn't been for quite a while now. She counted herself lucky that the Arcs let her stay at their home overnight after yesterday's little incident.

"Now that we're alone." Suddenly the room felt a tad bit different than usual. A bit colder, a bit more dangerous. Amber narrowed her eyes at the older woman, noting a faint glow of Aura surrounding Myra just as the kindly smile she wore turned a bit feral. "Why don't you quit the act, hon?"

Amber froze, the mug in her hand halting mid sip before a soul placed it to her lips. Inwardly Caster smiled, but it was a stiff one. She restrained a growl from Berserker, as a tug of jolting electricity danced across one of her arms. A hiss left her instead, dropping the mug to cover up the power brimming at the edge of her proverbial lid. Many of the egos in her mind gave off a scary vibe, as if a button was pushed that wasn't supposed to be. She tried her best to calm them down, it wasn't like the woman could harm them... Probably.

The room went quiet, spilled tea bubbling over the edge as it steamed, dripping down the sides to stain the table. With even realizing it, Amber loosened her grip and stared at the darkened bruise faded into her skin. Almost imperceptible lighting danced along her fingertips in waiting. Immediately the soft clamor of a hilt reached her ears, and with it a long knife landed on the table across from her. Myra stared long with a soft expression, unfazed by the blade which seemed to appear out of thin air.

"That's a lot of Aura. It's almost like you don't have any control over it." the woman observed, she pointed upstairs to explain. "I felt it when you were sleeping."

"The others?" Amber gritted out after a bit of hesitance. "...complicated."

"I bet." Myra said with a sigh. The older woman rubbed her arms and neck, distinctively pointing out where her scars were, a question at the tip of her tongue. "I'm guessing it has to do with those."

"How?" Amber only just stopped herself from growling at the woman.

"I'm Aura sensitive, not a lot of people have that quality. It's the entire basis of how Aura scanners were invented." Myra shook her head at the sudden tangent. "Think of your body as a container. A mug like this with a lid on it. Everyone's different so their container's are different sizes, You..." The woman pointed at her. "You're like a water reservoir with cracks spilling down the drains."

 _Is that true?_ The souls figured it was the perfect time to add their own thoughts. The ones usually vocal, like Rider and Lancer, looked away, while Caster snickered to the point of annoyance. Archer mumbled the words ' _cowards_ ' while Assassin simply nodded at her.

"Or to be specific, we all know Aura regenerates with food and rest. So if everyone is a furnace, you're a wildfire." Amber's attention broke off when she spoke. She felt a rigorous set of nods and grunts from Berserker as Myra continued. "I'm honestly surprised you got here without a single Grimm following you to the village."

 _So they would have really brought danger._

 _Uun. Uuun. Un!_

 _Thy's Aura were contained before thy vision last night. Those Grimm held little care in our presence.  
_

"You look conflicted and you're holding it all in." Myra eyed the office door at the far side of the room. "I'm guessing for some reason that Alex boy doesn't know. I'll keep it safe until you're willing to let it out. Arc's promise."

Amber struggled to figure out what to say, what to do. Despite all her care to keep her secret, this woman saw through her so easily. She ruffled her head, gripping it, hair and all for something for her head to figure out what to do. The utter passive expressions of the other souls was cause to grit her teeth.

 _Hehehehehe, It's your choice girl. A mortal's will being strangled by the might of fear and ignorance. That's something everyone experiences.  
_  
The voice of Assassin murmured mockingly, _To look back and feel remorse is turning your cheek away from your own being._

 _Decisions and actions are to be made by the living. The dead have had their fill. Rider grinned.  
_

Lancer smirked with his spear over his shoulders, _Just pick, We'll back you up. It's just like the first I met you eh?  
_  
The lightning faded into a dull hum. Without speaking, Amber closed her eyes and switched egos. It'd be best if a different influencing personality, especially the greater range of vocabulary would help in... half lying?

 _Maybe it'd be best if I explain it out loud, so you can understand it as well. You might have misunderstood how our relationship between Master and Servant in this form works.  
_  
A slight intake of breath came from Myra just as she raised her hands to fix her hair, sweeping them back to show of a mismatched pair of brown and scarlet eyes. Unlike before with Berserker's soft and almost shy demeanor; Amber now leaned back, tipping the chair with both arms on the back of her neck. The table were used a leg rest as she smirked.

Myra's attitude evaporated. "What... What just happened?"

She shrugged at the woman's question. Her eyes scanned the window over by an open wall while continuing, "We don't really know ourselves."

" _We_?" Myra's voice hitched. The woman narrowed her eyes, leaning forward. "No... Who am I talking to?"

"We are Amber." she replied with a raised brow. Maybe using some modern terminology might help. Her mind went back to memory, searching for a glimpse of something nearly everyone with an unlocked Aura contained. "At best, we'd liken it to our semblance."

 _Is that true?_ Amber physically shrugged to get the point across.

"That's... I've never heard of a semblance like that. That's only something I'd hear from a novel!" Myra protested, her tone laced by something resembling fear.

Amber chuckled darkly. "Our demeanor changes, so does our attitude. Parts of our personalities have skewed one way or another higher or lower than usual. As you saw, we were timid before. Now confidence overshadows that... But we assure you we're not a threat to you."

A bit of Rider's original gravitas leaked through as she stood up and spun around. "This is entirely Amber."

"Eyes are a window to the soul." the woman murmured, earning an unexpected laugh. With a hum Amber took a long gaze into a nearby mirror, laying a prodding finger to her scarlet eye, followed by an inspection of her hair. Looked like this was going to be a common factor then.

"It's you, but not you." the Arc mother exclaimed, standing up to point. "It's as if all my daughters were put in the same body, and everyone takes turns being in control!"

She shook her head. "But you're wrong. It's all your daughters, but only if all of then were the same daughter."

Amber's pursed her expression while letting the other woman think on it a bit longer, trying to understand what she meant.

"Think of it like a personality disorder." she offered instead.

"But that usually needs some kind of mental trauma..." Myra trailed off, a fist smacked the face of the table, "You-"

"Mama..." In an instant, the long knife left the table to disappear into the woman's jacket. Amber quickly switched back to her quiet demeanor and raised a finger to her lips, growling. She shook her head to fix her hair, peering to the young girl who dragged herself to the kitchen. The youngest twin had a quilt draped over her shoulders, wearing disheveled robe and a tired frown.

Lucine Arc staggered forth, covering a yawn with bags under her eyes. "Where's breakfast?"

"Wait." the mother raised her hands, floored by the sudden change and winced at such a loud noise they made. "It's too early for-"

Large bangs and crashes thudded against the ceiling above them. So began the start of a chain reaction erupted from the formerly peaceful abode; screams and hollers resounded across the hallways, as a chaotic echo of ruffling clothing made the women wince and shiver. The second the first of them jerked into view, all three women knew something was wrong.

"Saff! Adrian, _where's Adrian!?_ " Terra Cotta-Arc screamed hysterically from the doorframe, making her wife groan.

"Calm down honey." Saffron tiredly soothed. Glass broke and doors slammed into the walls instead. Sighing, Myra left her seat to creep along the floor, searching for said baby boy if he crawled along the ground. Without hesitation the missing child instantly became her priority.

Amber watched awkwardly, half being dragged away by a few souls to help find the child, while another grouping chuckled.

"Where's our baby boy?!" Terra shrieked again, loud enough to rattle glass.

Ignoring the situation above, Lucine groaned at the sight of a lack of food on the table and moaned sadly the moment she stared at the clock. With a brush on her long hair, the girl checked along the cupboards. Growling at something, she shoved the box of Pumpkin Pete's cereal in the trash after tasting a few pieces.

Amber leaned back at the sudden impact of a cutting board landing in front of her, followed by a knife and various ingredients.

"Chop." Lucine commanded, setting a stove up with a pan and pot. The girl sent a sharp look at her, whining. "They're gonna panic."

And that's exactly what Amber witnessed.

The morning person of the Arc sisters, Ariele, rushed down the stairs after a slam of doors and the wisps of flying clothing, hopefully landing in a hamper somewhere. In the woman's hands a cone with the words megaphone popped into existence (or was retrieved, it was too fast for Amber to tell which) and in the other snatched the wrist of her twin, barely clad in a set of wet clothes, shouting into her prize, "All hands on deck! We've got a baby to find!"

Thankfully, it wasn't a powered megaphone. Although the rumbling glass Amber heard implied Ariele didn't need one.

"Aaaaaaaah, I'm not ready for this!" Moaned the form of her twin, Evony, rubbing her hair on a towel while she staggered past her. The moment she got out of her sister's grasp and planted her butt on a seat, her head thumped onto the cool table, followed by a relaxed sigh. At least until a loud crash from the living room made the girl bolt from her seat.

"Clear the deck! Look everywhere!" Everyone winced at the sight of a lounge chair overturned by a window.

"Don't run in the hallway!" shouted Myra.

A voice from upstairs hollered, "Everyone shut up! I'm in the middle of taking out a boss, zero damage, no deaths."

Amber raised a brow at the sole sister busy cooking when another door slammed open, followed by a shriek from it's occupant. Multiple footsteps thundered above all the way to the stairs leading down to the kitchen.

"I'm pressing ya into service! Turn off those video games and toe the line!"

"You lied about doing your Dust-net job!"

If Amber was of weaker constitution, she would be floored by the dizzying display of various blondes whipping around the building. The latest of the Arcs whined, "I do moderate and program, that's true! I just... finished it all... really early."

"How much free time did you have then!?" Saffron pushed, rightfully so in Archer's opinion. Terra followed it up with faux tears, and the two embraced for some needed effect.

"Shut up! It's not like you don't have a creepy guy trying to woo you every time he sees you!" Stella roared indignantly.

Another Arc revealed herself, looking betrayed, "Why's the Pumpkin Pete's in the trash?!"

Anise didn't care about it too much, filching a smack from Lucine's grip after trying to poke at some kinda sauce, or whatever it was. Her twin, the sorta nice Cassia, meandered around kitchen mumbling 'coffee' over and over again.

"Adrian! Adrian! Honey, where are you?" Terra wailed like a... well like a first time mom.

"He's not crying so that's a good thing?" Saffron suggested with a shrug.

"He coulda gotten out of the house, Saff!" she snarled right back.

"How old is he, one!?" Anise gave an offended expression, "You really think we're that stupid to leave doors open?"

"He's a really smart boy." Myra admired. A hand was placed on her cheek, positively glowing with pride at her grandson.

"Arc blood! Already got his sea legs!" Ariele poked her head in. "We're gonna get him to know the ropes when he's eight!"

"Please, stop with the sailor speak." Evony groaned, finishing up on repairing the chaos her twin blazed through. "It was normal back in the old days but this isn't the Great War."

"But siiiiiis!" she whined, "We gotta play the stereotype for the idiots!"

"But we're at home..." Evony pointed out.

Amber noticed Lucine suddenly freeze. The girl turned the oven off before holding her palm up. Slowly, she moved her thumb to her middle finger.

Everyone winced hard, with most of them finding a rail or something to hold them in place. Amber herself staggered, peripherally aware of the knife clattering to the floor. The crowd of noisemakers hissed and rubbed their ears, immediately quieting down.

"What was that for?!" Ariele snapped angrily.

"Ahhhh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Cassia apologized quickly, her voice shrill.

"Saff, hold me!" Terra leaped onto her spouse, nearly bowling the pair to the floor.

"Oh." Amber blinked a few times when the offending girl stared at her. For a second Lucine felt like Berserker, but more... calm?

"Lu? Lulu, please."

"You already know don't you?"

"Where is he? Lucine, is Adrian alright?"

The girl raised a brow with a hand planted on her hip. She strode to table and dropped a plate of fresh flat breads, before pointing at the door. "Overreacting."

Everyone stayed quiet, watching the girl move to the closed entrance of the household's den. Rumbling and voices kept going and going, isolated from the rest of house. Amber followed, just like everyone else to lean close to the wood. With a click and a soft push, a warm glow shined against her face.

"Oh my."

And there he was; Sitting like a king on a throne made from Alex's mantle that wrapped all around him. The baby's hands moved up and down in rhythm, with pudgy little fingers spread wide. "Yah!"

"You're going to pay for what you've done!"

What the gathered women saw was not what they imagined. On one side was Adrian in his comfy front row seat, and on the other held all the men of the house behind a thin drape hung from some wires attached to the ceiling. A bright flame had cast shadow puppets of a miniature man holding a sword, kneeling on the ground while facing a giant castle dragon thing floating above the clouds. Veillantif Arc was acting as the 'hero' of this play that had so much production value.

"The troops down south have already been incinerated!"

And it showed with the flailing arms and moving flaps of Alex; Smoke and wispy vapor flowed around the drapery and traveled all over the room as he simulated wind, cold, and heat. His actions warmed the room so much that a constant breeze smacked all of them when they opened the door.

"Not good. We don't have the huntsmen to break though the flying castle." A smaller, thinner shadow puppet shouted in the distance.

The guy also played the role of supporting characters. Narrator too.

"Not to mention that Wyvern attached to it like a second skin." The voice of Ciaran responded almost pitifully to act like a wounded soldier. The elderly man quickly crossed his arms and showed a menacing smile. It wasn't hard to guess the man played the villain and secondary characters.

"Hahahaha! Foolish heroes! Fall under the weight of eternity and let your lives slip through your grasp like the rain pouring down. Nothing can stop the Grimm!"

Evony whispered. "Gramps is so hammy."

Her twin whooped with her fist, and the man whipped his head at them and motioned a few fingers zipping his lips. Anise and Ariele rubbed the back of their necks.

"And so the mastermind of the war appeared. It wasn't a man, but the dragon itself! He revealed his thousand year old plan for all to hear in hopes the mortals below would embrace it." Alex warned menacingly.

Ciaran immediately responded for the hero. "This isn't salvation! It's just your own twisted views corrupted by the negative energy."

The villain looked like it was frowning, pitying the hero. "What do you creatures do in the years of your existence? Constantly living at the edge of war, poverty, slavery and death? What is it worth when your kingdoms fall within the next few generations only to start of the flames of chaos once again? Your existence is meaningless! And so I deem you worthless. I will start again. Your lives will be the foundation. The fertilizer for a new humanity!"

The wyvern puppet opened its mouth to reveal a growing orb of energy.

"It's shooting a laser!" A shadow puppet screamed. Everyone watched with bated breath, particularly the souls in Amber's head put forward their undivided attention. Some appeared to enjoy the spectacle, while others screamed and yelled things like 'dodge, charge forward, or hold it down with a shield wall.'

A dark and void filled beam flashed out of the muzzle. The hero of the play screamed as he raised his blade into a waiting stance. The laser covered the entire screen, hero and all.

Just then, itty bitty feather shaped shadows fell down the screen. "Caw!"

"Yah!"

The screen immediately cut into the image of a dilapidated throne room. A small but firm man with a crown over his head motioned, as if he was sighing a message.

"The king of Vytal, Charlemagne, had always felt a foreboding shadow looming over him. He didn't know what it was, nor did he have an inkling when it would happen. A day from his eighteenth birthday, the night of coronation, or the moment he died of old age." Alex took on a narrator role, voice ominous.

"That was until he met a traveling man when he was on his final days as prince." Ciaran did the same with a bit more hope, the image of a young prince in front of a small campfire across a hooded being appearing.

"Your fears are warranted. Said the hooded figure. 'It will not appear soon. There will not be any warning, or at least the kind you're familiar with. When the year of Vytal's lowest points in its life, where droughts and famine ran without resistance; on the nights where men, women, and children succumb to sickness and plague. A month before the near unopposed rebellion within your circles, and the masses march in droves to your throne room; Your fears will be shown clearly to you.' Despite the protests and shouting of his subjects, Charlemagne took the warning to heart."

"At the mere age of thirty eight, the King witnessed his destroyed and empty castle. But instead of crying out, he stared up at the sky and smiled. He sent one of his paladins to the final battle, one that might make or break his recovering kingdom forever."

"I finally made it!" The hero gasped as another figure pulled him up and set him down on a mount. "Geez that King of mine is pulling all the stops. Guess that means he believes in you."

Out from the skies appeared the shadow of a flying eagle, with the lower half that of a horse. On top of it's harness rode a paladin carrying a lance, and behind him was the hero holding on for dear life. They bypassed the laser beams and flew directly to the head of the wyvern, dodging fireballs, Grimm spikes, and energy lances along the way.

But before they were able to get close enough, the wyvern called out for nearby Nevermore for assistance. The flying creature's wings were damaged along the way, and they seemed to be falling to the ground.

Adrian shook his tiny little fists, looking in fear. "Naaah!"

"We're too heavy. It's a bit cliche but we'll handle this. Go on ahead." The Paladin said fearlessly.

The hero nodded and prepared to jump. "Right."

"Give em a big bash to the head, Seigfried!" the Paladin laughed.

When the hero jumped, heat and vapor condensed around the room. His sword glowed brightly, and shadowy flames surrounded the blade until it reached a hundred times it's length. Ciaran voiced out a roar of 'noooo' when Veillantif screamed his attack.

In a flash the scene vanished, and all the props used by the men were picked up off the ground. They removed the drapes from their hanging grounds as everyone erupted into applause. Adrian giggled and waved his arms about for his opinion on the play.

"Yah!"

Ciaran looked at them a bit shocked. Pointing at the group as he spoke, "Kids! We have guests!"

Amber gave a once over at the other women; true to the father's words, everyone except for Myra and Lucine didn't have anything on but an oversized shirt.

Evony raised her hand up very quickly, looking bored. "I'm exempt, had to take a shower."

Rather than dismissing the issue, everybody switched their irritation to her.

"That's even worse!"

"Yeah, Evo! Coulda put on some pants!"

"Ariele." she said, as if that were the answer to everything.

The girl in question threw her hands up in the air indignantly. "Don't blame this on me!"

"What? It's just one guy~" Cassia said, rolling her eyes on how normal everything was going. The twin quickly followed her up with a smirk. "And he's completely unfazed."

Stella rushed up to his face, eyes wide. "Are you gay?"

The response was only a pinch of his nose, rubbing his eyes followed by a sigh. The Arc women found a chance to look hurt by his lack of a suitable response.

"What? We're not good enough?!"

"Waaaah!"

"Oh Adrian!" Terra picked him up into a hug, putting a halt to the drama. "We were looking all over for you."

"So that's was the all the commotion back there. Saffy, You need to keep an eye on your boy. Kids at that age can get too curious." Evony lectured dismissively.

"Adrian, what's wrong? We were too loud?" Anise said worriedly.

"What's that he got in his hand?" Saffron asked, bringing herself closer to the two. She tilted her head at something Adrian was hiding. "A feather?"

As expected, the baby refused to hand over the bright object caught in his grip. Legs kicked whenever a hand got close enough to almost grasp the feather, making the chore that much more difficult.

"Come on Adrian. Let mommy see that feather. Where'd you get it?" Saffron tried a lighter tone, evidently trying to get the baby to let his guard down. A loud whine was her clue that it wasn't working.

"He's crying because we weren't finished." Alex called out from near a coat rack. As he put on his jacket, he retrieved a comical looking hat from a peg to put on, and he strode towards the trio. The man then leaned slightly low to the baby's eye level, smiled a bit while he held up the hat, after putting a hand through it to show it was empty.

"Did you like Mr. Hippogriff?" he asked in a gentle tone.

"Yah!"

"Is that what it was?" the man put a finger to his lips for the mother to stay quiet. "I know you were hoping to meet him weren't you? But it looks like he won't able to. It's going to take a long time for Mr. Hippogriff to heal up from that battle. He was hurt so badly he left the kingdom into the portal on the other side of the world."

The baby started to tear up at that.

"But before he left, Mr. Hippogriff had a great idea." Alex said, putting the right in front of the baby. "Why don't you put his feather in the hat?" With a few sprinkles of glossy dust and a flap, he continued. "Despite the need for Mr. Hippogriff to rest in the reverse side of the world, he thinks this will be able to protect you for the time being."

Amber blinked, amazed at how easily he was able to entrance this child.

"One day the reverse side will connect with the original layer. That day, the great Flock of Hippogriff will appear once again, much like other legendary creatures." He pushed the hat to the baby and made him put his hand in it.

Adrian had a serious expression while grasping whatever was in the hat. Tiny little arms shook and trembled as the baby grunted in effort. With a pop, a big fluffy mane and a yellow beak came out of the hat, revealing a plushie the size of a teddy bear. "Do you think you can wait for that day?"

"Yah!" Adrian's eyes sparkled and hugged the plushie of a hippogriff, bubbling incoherently as he rubbed his head on the toy's neck.

 _Awwwwww_. Multiple souls laughed when the girls cooed at the action.

The man rolled his eyes from it and coughed. "Now that the show's over, can we get to breakfast?"

"No Alex! We, are going to work!" proclaimed Veilantif, the collected Arc children openly recoiling at his bold claim. All the girls covered their heads, trying to look small when a knife sunk itself halfway into the door frame.

When several girls parted to allow her entrance, Myra had a very creepy smile. "Dear, don't you think we should eat as a family?"

At once the Arc father froze. "Y-Yes?"

Amber felt like she shouldn't be here to witness this.

"Then why don't you explain to us why you've been so busy with 'construction work' recently? So much so that you've forgotten all about our agreement?" Myra continued sweetly. Inside her mind half the souls were yelling at her to fight, and the other half were screaming 'run!'

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise." the father defended awkwardly, looking to the younger man hopefully, but only earned a turned cheek. He frowned and looked for his father. "Dad?"

"You're old enough to handle this." Ciaran shrugged.

The knife was quickly yanked out from the door (Amber noted uneasily several other gouges like it) and the mother dragged her husband to the kitchen. "At the table, dear."

Line Break

"And that's why I've been so busy." Veilantif said, clearing away the table to wash up. The family had some sort of system where they took turns with cleaning; this time Alex was roped into helping with the dishes, while Amber was given the freedom to sit back and relax, courtesy of Myra's simmering anger.

The people of the village were working on expansive new windmills, based on some radical designs thrown away by the Atlas Council. Something along the lines of reducing need for Dust consumption, added with the year long workload to revamp the village's infrastructure.

"That is also the reason why I wanted Alex to stay even after Jaune left on his own." Alex nodded when the man continued, shrugging defeatedly at the disappointment.

The suited man asked, "Have figured out what you were gonna do?"

"Evo and I are gonna sail to Vale! Give him a smack or two!" The sounds of Ariele's hands hitting each other were added for emphasis.

"Your father and grandfather persuaded me to accept him as a student." Alex said with a frown. "I'm unsure as how this is going to occur. Beacon most certainly already has it handled. I feel I'd be unneeded."

The room was suddenly filled with mock laughter. Even Saffron covered her giggle. He, Terra, and Amber looked at them, confused.

"Hah! No way. Beacon's a horrible school! Tell em Evo!" Ariele shoved her twin for encouragement.

The girl nodded with a frown, lips pursed like she just ate something disgusting. "Administrative negligence, normalized discrimination, and teaching partisanship. This further emphasizes a lack of student and faculty cooperation. And finally, limited subject knowledge."

Amber was taken aback by the expression Evony adopted when she talked about the school. Her frown was more than simple dislike, there was something like professional disgust in her eyes.

The grandfather crossed his arms, nodding. "I'd personally have felt _better_ off if he ran to Atlas."

"Don't you like Vale? Not to mention Atlas?" the darker toned woman asked carefully.

The old man shook his head. "Sorry, Terra. It's just that the Arc family and Domremy as a whole has disagreed with Vale ever since our King abdicated."

The dull ache of pain grew into her chest; Shielder looked on with a regretful expression, while Lancer nodded with a firm look for some reason. Even Assassin turned glum at his somber tone.

Evony bolted to her feet, seething. "Not to mention how they treat the Faunus! The rebellion didn't help Domremys' relationship with them, considering how seventy percent of our six thousand population are Faunus."

"We and many other former noble families were stuck between a rock and a hard place ever since the beginning. Some like the Winchesters had to kneel to the Council. Now..." Myra explained with a soft expression.

"They're nothing but shadows of their former selves." Veilantif shook his head when he spoke.

"Overall, we don't hate the current generation, we like them in fact. We just don't have good history with the ones that commanded the Council." Ciaran said to Terra, who nodded thoughtfully.

The father sighed, turning over to the twins, Evony and Ariele. "Can't complain now. It was our fault for keeping everything a secret from Jaune. Still, can you girls give him some time alright? Don't you remember, we have a festival to worry about."

"That's right!" Cassia said, her excitement spreading to her siblings.

Amber tilted her head, "...Festival?"

"Yes, Amber. It's Midsummer. The Estival Solstice, you've never experienced one?" Myra asked.

When she shook her head, they looked for Terra's response. The moment she also said no, most of the twins started clamoring about how it would be a great time to get them into the festive mood.

Alex frowned at them, pinching the bridge of his nose as Ciaran bellowed. "Argh, another reason to hate the current administration. They threw away our traditions! Holidays that spanned for a thousand years!"

Alex chimed in just as the men started to drag him out of the room. "The reason for the holiday is long and it'll be explained when it starts. So, just think of it as everyone in the village cooks food, plays games, and dances to music around a big bonfire."

"It's fun! We have competitions during and leading up to the main events." Lucine chimed in.

Shielder raised a brow in her head.

"Marksmanship challenges, Wrestling matches."

Lancer cracked his knuckles.

"Sailing races"

Rider rubbed his hands together.

"And a Hunting competition."

Archer huffed. Internally Amber smiled at everyone's enthusiasm.

Suddenly Anise widened her eyes and gasped. "That's today! Isn't Stella competing!?"

"I got plenty of time! Lucine and I are gonna tear it up!" The girl in question waved it off with a smirk.

Her expression slowly turned panicky when her sister shook her head. "No. I have to help decorating."

"Bu-bu... I need a partner!" she protested while nearly hyperventilating.

"How about it Amber? You wanna try it out?" Saffron offered in her sister's place. After a bit of persuading from the souls, Amber nodded. They thought it would be fun and relaxing. Smiling at her agreement, she pulled out a coat before making her wife do the same. "In the meantime I'm gonna give you the full tour Terra! Amber come with us! You too Alex."

Ciaran and his son stopped her right there. In their grips were Alex's wrists, carrying thick piles of paperwork as the young man got dragged out of the house.

"I'm gonna have to put a stop right here. We're gonna need him for a few things. And we have to decide on how to make the teaching position work with Jaune being at Beacon, and Alex here on the move." Veilantif said gravely. His assistant/lackey appeared okay, but the look in his eyes showed his despair.

"Just do a blog." Stella huffed.

The men halted their dragging when Alex stopped walking, letting him glance curiously. "May I ask what a blog is?"

Even the fathers did a double take at his question. They all looked at him like he was some kind of strange creature from the wilds. "...You don't know?"

The man raised a brow and crossed his arms, after yanking them away from Veilantif's grasp. "Is it something I should?"

Stella looked as if she was having a heart attack, collapsing to the floor like she fainted. The young girl that earned her living off the Dustnet grasped her hair for dear life, pleading while she spun in a circle by their feet. "Do you have a scroll?!"

"I do." Alex confirmed with a frown.

"Hand it here." she bolted to a sitting position to stab her open hand out. Frowning, the man searched through his pockets to pull out an older generation scroll. The girl winced, tears started to form. "There's cracks and chips all over it. There's no power?!"

"When was the last time you used this?" Veilantif asked cautiously.

Alex put a hand to his chin, humming in thought. "Two years ago?"

"AAAAAARGH" Stella flopped back to resume spinning like a top, wailing incomprehensibly. Coughing into a fist, Alex strode up to take the scroll back, but all he met with was a very angry Arc. "Don't. You. Dare."

Just as Amber watched this bizarre event slowly unfold, a hand touched her shoulder. Archer cooed at the fluffy bundle covering Adrian, the child gesturing with the toy hippogriff in his hands. Myra proceeded to shove her, Terra, her wife, and the twins she fought the other day out the door.

"Saff, Take Anise and Cassia with you!" she said unnecessarily, slamming the door shut hard enough to rattle the building.

When five heads swiveled to the blonde, Saffron forcefully perked herself up. "Alrighty, let's go you three! A full exclusive tour of Domremy with yours truly awaits, with special guests Cassia and Anise Arc!"

One of the twins in question scoffed, "Yeah, yeah."

"How about we start at the walls, with a complimentary history lesson?" she said brightly. Saffron started to walk off, pausing with a pointed look until the others started trotting after her.

Terra snapped her fingers, eyes sparkling at her. "How about a cafe?! I have loads of questions for Amber."

Everyone switched to look at her oddly, and she stepped back with a raised brow. What could the mother be wondering?

"Hey... That is Iskandar Waver Velvet right?" Terra asked Amber cautiously.

Saffron answered, confused. "That's what he called himself."

"No seriously. He's the _Velvet Renegade_ , aren't any of you curious?!" she looked at everyone scandalously. Her feet bounced up and down in place, as if she was brimming with energy.

"What's that? A criminal?" Anise questioned first.

Terra grinned. "You don't know?!"

* * *

 **And I'll leave it that. I don't need to say how disappointment I have in some areas I've written.**

 **Don't take any of the 'play part' seriously It's just an easter egg/shade slash fun thing for people that read or watch Fate. That entire play was a butchering of Fate Apocrypha with the added twist of many years o retelling the story over and over and over. There's callouts for Hero mythologies and such. The Knight on the Hippogriff was Astolfo, Seigfried was Seig/Seigfried, and the 'King was Vytal' Charlemange. That's all, don't take that too seriously. But hey, ANyone that knows, knows how the Fate system works. So maybe I'm just messing with you when I said this is not serious.**

 **Anyways. Take care and I'll see you next time.**


End file.
